Hunting Dogs 4: SwordQuest
by spotpc
Summary: Our heroes have gotten hold of a very special medieval scroll. Are those directions to the hiding place of the Fang Swords? Sounds like a good excuse for a family reunion. But watch out for some uninvited guests! R&R please.
1. Chapter 1

Ah, finally… My next full length crossover fic is here. Another shot at WHR and Hellsing. But this time, I'm including some more elements from Inuyasha. This story takes place sometime after _Hunting Dogs 2_. Just as in HD3, I'm using the Hellsing anime and NOT the manga. I'll only be handling the language issue when it comes to writing and not speaking. And of course, I don't own any of these characters except for Travisian. He's my favorite of all my OCs so far. Anyone who uses him without permission will be cursed to the third generation. Please note: I usually finish a story before I start posting it. But this one is especially long and it's been giving me some trouble. So I got tired of waiting and decided to start posting now. But that means that I may need to make slight alterations later. If I find I have to do that, I'll note it when I post the new chapter. I apologize if this annoys anyone. I'm just trying to make it all perfect for my dear readers. Enjoy!

Hunting Dogs 4: Sword Quest

1

Nagira stuck his head out the door into the alley. He looked both ways, confirming the white delivery van that sat waiting at the loading dock on one end of the narrow passage. The other end was open to the street and he could hear the boisterous calls of the shop owners and sidewalk vendors. It seemed to Nagira that life was going on as usual everywhere except in the room behind him. The restaurant up front was owned by a friend, a fellow believer in justice. Nagira let the door close and turned around to face the pair of bloodshot eyes that had been glued to him all day. They belonged to a middle aged man in thin, dirt-smudged clothes. He was scrawny and pale like he hadn't seen the sun in months. He gave Nagira the creeps.

"Alright," Nagira said. "We're all set. You'll be leaving in a few minutes."

"I cannot thank you enough," the ghostly man wheezed in a thick European accent.

"It's no big deal," Nagira said. "You sure you know what to do? Once you leave here, I won't be around to hold your hand."

"I know. Flight 436 to Singapore."

"So tell me, why are they chasing you?"

"I cannot say. Knowing these things would put you in danger."

"Okay, if that's the way you want it…" Nagira said with a smirk. "I just had to ask, you know."

"Yes, I understand. But curiosity is a luxury men like us can ill afford."

A knock on the door made them both fall silent. Nagira opened the door just a crack and peered out at the teenage boy standing in the alley. He turned again and nodded to the pale man.

"Okay, tt's time," he said.

The pale man rose from his seat on a wooden crate and moved haltingly towards the door.

"Don't forget your luggage," Nagira said, handing him an old leather valise. He opened the door again but the pale man didn't move. Instead, he reached into the valise and pulled out a tube-shaped container. He held it out to Nagira with a shaky hand.

"Please, accept this as a token of my gratitude," he said as Nagira took it. "Be careful. It is very valuable."

Before Nagira could respond, the pale man was already walking down the alley toward the van. Nagira would have called out to him but he didn't want to draw attention. He looked down at the container in his hand. It was small, about the length of his forearm. What could be in there that was so valuable? A painting? Secret documents maybe? Nagira didn't know much about art, and he knew even less about secret documents. But he knew someone who could help.

2

The afternoon was fast approaching when Dojima pulled her car into her favorite space in the underground garage. She knew that the office above in Raven's Flat would already be bustling. Could she slip in unnoticed? No, that was impossible. Her best bet was to just walk in like always and pretend nothing was wrong. While the elevator rose to the fifth floor, she concocted the most ridiculous excuses. She knew that she wouldn't need them though. The others never asked why she was late anymore. They just accepted it. Since Amon and Robin had come home from their world tour, nobody seemed to care what Dojima did. And that suited her just fine. The elevator doors opened on the office and Dojima walked in. But right away, she knew that something different was happening. The others were all looking at her.

"What?" she asked defensively.

Sakaki sighed. "It's just Dojima," he said, exasperated.

Dojima was taken aback. "What do you mean it's just me?"

"We thought it was Nagira," Sakaki said. "He's supposed to be here soon."

Dojima caught her breath. "Nagira! He's coming here? Why didn't anyone warn me?"

"You would have known if you'd gotten here on time," Karasuma said.

"Hey, didn't you guys break up?" Sakaki asked.

"Of course we did!" Dojima wailed. "Why is he coming here?"

"He said he had something he wanted us to check out," Michael said as he continued clicking away at his keyboard.

"Wonderful! Fantastic! What am I supposed to do? He'll be here any minute." Dojima raved.

"You could go hide in the chief's office," Sakaki suggested with a smile.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks a lot," Dojima snapped.

The elevator bell pinged and Dojima gasped. She sprinted around the corner into the conference room and pressed herself against the wall in the dark. She knew she was being immature. But she and Nagira had only split about a month ago. She wasn't ready to see him yet. Even hearing his voice was painful.

"You guys ready to see it?" he was saying.

"Yeah," Sakaki answered, enthusiastic as always. "Cummon, open it up."

A faint popping sound and the shuffling of paper announced the revelation.

"What the… Is that medieval writing?" Michael asked.

"I was hoping you guys could tell me," Nagira said. "This scroll looks pretty old and the guy who gave it to me said it was valuable."

"Is there a date written somewhere?" Karasuma asked.

"I don't see one," Amon said. "We'll just have to read through it."

By that time, Dojima's curiosity was starting to overcome her heartbreak. She slipped quietly out of the conference room, making sure that the others had their backs turned. The scroll was spread out on the chief's old desk. Dojima looked over Karasuma's shoulder and caught a glimpse of the handwriting. Handwriting she recognized.

"What do you know…" she said without thinking.

The others jumped and looked at her.

"Dojima! Don't scare us like that," Sakaki complained.

"Well, excuse me. For your information, that scroll is from the sixteenth century," Dojima said.

"How do you know that?" Michael asked.

"I've seen that kind of writing before, that's all. I don't remember where," she lied.

The others looked around at each other.

"The sixteenth century, hmm?" Nagira mused, obviously trying to ignore Dojima's presence.

"We still have to read it," Amon said.


	2. Chapter 2

3

_Thirty years have passed since our victory over our enemy. The demon purges have been very successful and few full-blood demons remain. My half-demon friend and his brother have little need for weapons now. Their swords ride useless at their sides. However, there are those among the townspeople who still whisper against them. We fear that the perpetrators of the purges may be drawn by these whispers._

Robin paused for a moment and gazed at the paper. What did all of this mean?

"Aren't you going to keep reading?" Nagira asked. He was sitting beside her on the couch. Karasuma was on the other side leaning in to see the words. Dojima was perched on the armrest next to Karasuma, as far away from Nagira as she could get. Michael and Sakaki were on the floor trying to stay out from underfoot. Amon stood behind the couch watching the whole proceeding and of course listening intently. Robin didn't bother responding to Nagira's question. She continued reading out loud.

_We are hopeful that with more time, these fears will die away. But even so, the dogs have left instructions in case the worst should happen. They have decided that after their deaths, the Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga must be hidden away for safe-keeping until a future generation has need of their powers. They have entrusted this task and the record keeping to me and my family._

"But who is he?" Sakaki asked, interrupting.

"Who cares?" Nagira returned. "Here's where it gets really interesting."

Robin began to read again, more focused than ever.

_Recently they managed to agree on a hiding place for the fang swords. They could not have chosen better. It is a sheltered cove, quiet and undisturbed. The only known path that reaches it begins at Kaede's village. From there it runs north through the forests of Musashi past the Shrine of the Trickster. There the path turns east onto the plains where the frog imps once ruled. The path runs down onto the coast where the Howling River meets the sea. From there, the path turns north again and follows the rocky beaches past the Cave of Wings. 100 li from there, the path ends at a young Time Tree that dominates the cove. With any luck the powerful fang swords will remain hidden until the Dog Clan returns to claim them once more._

Nagira sat back on the couch, one eyebrow raised. "Can you guys fill me in? What does all that mean?"

"Well, I think there's only one half-demon it could be referring to," Karasuma said.

"You mean your friend Inuyasha," Nagira said. "He carried a magic sword, right?"

"But this scroll must have been written long after we were there," Robin said.

"The person who gave it to you wasn't kidding," Amon said. "This scroll is very valuable. A lot of people would like to acquire a demon weapon."

"People like you?" Nagira teased.

Amon looked away and said nothing.

"So what do we do with it?" Sakaki asked.

"Nothing for now," Amon replied. "But be on your guard. We don't know where the scroll came from and there might already be people looking for it. It would be wise to keep this a secret for the time being. We might have to take possession of the swords ourselves soon."

4

Date: July 8  
From: Integra  
Re: You remind me of…  
Why are we still arguing about this? My whole family was human. Don't you think I would know if I wasn't? And besides, how can I be a demon if I hunt vampires for a living? It makes no sense. Why would a demon want to destroy other demons?  
That vision I had when I was 13 proves nothing. Alucard has psychic powers. He must have given me that vision when he sensed my presence outside the door.  
While I admit that my hair is an unusual shade, it hardly marks me as a demon or a part-demon. I understand your need for company in this particular misery, but I'm afraid it won't pay off this time.  
P.S. Bishop to E2. Say goodbye to your queen.

Date: July 8  
From: Amon  
Re: You remind me of…  
How would you be able to hunt vampires if you weren't part demon yourself? The dogs were no ordinary demons. That suicide attempt would have killed an ordinary human. You survived because you have some dog demon blood in you. You underestimated yourself.  
It's possible that Alucard gave you that vision. But what if he didn't? What if your own weak holy powers somehow activated themselves when you realized you were in danger? And then afterwards you convinced yourself that it wasn't you at all.  
It's not just your hair color that convinces me I'm right. It's everything about you. Your attitude, your job, your status as a pain in my ass. All signs point to you being a distant relative of the dog demons.  
P.S. Castle to B6. Checkmate. You fell for it. You must be slipping.

Date: July 9  
From: Integra  
Re: You remind me of…  
I'm able to hunt vampires because I was taught to. And the thing I underestimated that time was medical technology and possibly my own will to live. It has nothing to do with having demon blood or not.  
I don't doubt my powers of self-deception. I use them every day. It's these other alleged powers that I'm having trouble with. You see, that was the one and only time I've ever had a vision like that. If I had weak holy powers as you say, then I would have had other incidents when the powers manifested. If the powers are triggered only by fear, then why didn't they activate when the bobanshee trapped me? Why didn't they surface when Incognito threatened to rape me? Alucard had to rescue me both times. How do you explain all of that?  
And as for my being a pain in your ass, let me remind you that you emailed me first.  
P.S. Damn you! I'm not slipping. That was a cheap trick.

Date: July 9  
From: Amon  
Re: You remind me of…  
I don't have answers to those questions. But I can take care of your skepticism. I've just come across an item that can provide irrefutable evidence that you and I share a common demon ancestor. I'll be starting the process of tracking it down very soon. I should be able to send you the proof you need within a couple of weeks.  
P.S. : P

Date: July 10  
From: Integra  
Re: You remind me of…  
So I'm to wait breathlessly by my phone? Is that it? I'll do better than that. I'll come over there and watch you fail in person. The repairs to the house are finished as of two days ago and I believe I deserve a holiday. It is summer, after all. Give me a time frame and I'll have my jet ready.  
P.S. -.-'

Story Notes:

"Bishop to E2... Castle to B6" - Integra and Amon are playing chess. They are using a very common system that allows them to play across long distances by mail or email. Each number and letter combo indicates a specific square on the chess board. In the last few moves of the game, Amon sacrificed his queen in order to draw Integra into a trap. She seems to fall for that trick quite a lot, doesn't she?

Also, please excuse my use of emoticrons in the last two post scripts. I just happened to like them. For those who don't know these: ": P" indicates teasing and "-.-'" indicates exasperation. That last emoticron has been modified from its original version. The formatting restrictions on won't allow for the proper form of it. Sorry...

"holiday" - In British English, this word has two meanings. The first is exactly what it sounds like, a holiday, as in Christmas or Labor Day. The second meaning is what Americans would call a "vacation".


	3. Chapter 3

5

"Should I bring lotion, Walter?" Seras asked as she passed him in the main hall.

"We will be traveling quite a bit during the day," Walter replied.

"SPF 30 it is then."

There was a momentary pause during which Seras was sure they were both thinking the same thing.

"Do you think Sir Integra is thinking this through? It seems a little… impulsive."

A frown flashed across Walter's face. "She and Amon have been rather competitive since they first met. Their last chess match went on for two weeks."

"I remember."

"I doubt she would change her mind now, especially when this quest was his idea. She would consider that a failure. But even so, I'm sure Sir Integra has considered every aspect of this situation."

"It still seems like a wild goose chase," Seras said. "I mean, mysterious proof that Sir Integra has magical powers? You have to admit, it sounds pretty unbelievable."

Walter closed his eyes in thought. "I've seen many things that would sound unbelievable. So have you. We must simply trust that Sir Integra knows what she's doing."

6

"What am I doing?" Integra asked herself out loud. Her suitcase lay on her bed half filled with the oldest clothes that still fit her. She had stopped in between the bed and the dresser, just standing there with a folded shirt in her hand. The insanity of it all had just struck her and she was momentarily paralyzed by it.

Why was she suddenly prepared to charge all the way to the other side of the world just to prove Amon wrong? Why was she so resistant to the idea of being a demon? Wasn't it a good thing? If Amon was right, then it was her demon blood that had kept her alive through all the terrible trouble of the past year. But it was ridiculous! She was no demon. She was a vampire hunter, plain and simple. She had no powers or anything. Alucard had given her that vision ten years ago. Or at least, that's what she had always believed. What if…? No, it was impossible. She was human and that was the end of it. Amon had to be wrong. He had to be. That's why she had to go there. To see it for herself.

But there was still that nagging feeling, like she was forgetting something. A feeling… or an instinct… the crazy unknowable fact that she would find something really special over there. That was it. But what would she say if someone asked? That was a different question. She tossed the shirt she'd been holding into the suitcase and turned back to the dresser.

7

Amon watched the coffee pour from the pot in his right hand into the mug in his left. What exactly did he intend to do with the swords once he had them? Use them to hunt witches? No, guns were better for that. What then? Maybe he'd figure it out when he actually had the swords in his possession.

"When is she coming?" Karasuma asked, coming up beside him.

"Tomorrow," he replied simply.

"You're looking forward to this, aren't you?"

Amon didn't answer. He took his coffee back to his computer terminal and sat down. Karasuma was right. He was looking forward to this. But it wasn't just the quest he was anticipating. It would be fun to prove Integra wrong. He still smirked at her first reaction to his theory.

"What in bloody hell are you talking about?" she had written.

Amon had put that message in his Saved folder. Eventually, it had come down to him emailing a surveillance photo of Inuyasha from the office security system. Technically, he wasn't allowed to do that. But it had become a matter of honor by then.

Integra had a hard time believing that she was related to demons. Being raised in a monster hunting family had forever prejudiced her against magical creatures. Amon himself had come from a family of magical creatures. Even so, that prejudice was something they had in common. Maybe that's why they had gotten to be such fast friends. A stranger might have thought they were ex-lovers. But it wasn't anything like that. The truth was that they simply felt comfortable telling each other things they wouldn't admit to anybody else. Maybe it was the fact that they were so far removed from each other's lives that made it easy to confide. It seemed that every few days they were swearing each other to secrecy over one thing or another. It would be good to see her again. He couldn't wait to see her face when he showed her the proof.


	4. Chapter 4

8

Father Maxwell looked up from the papers on his desk as Father Ronaldo entered the room.

"You have the report?" Maxwell asked.

Father Ronaldo handed over a sheet of paper by way of answer. Maxwell began reading and grew paler and paler as he continued.

_The witch Travisian has eluded us again in Japan. We have had no clear trail to follow since his escape from the Section XIII maximum security facility. It is also unclear how he managed to break through the defenses of the secret archives to steal the scrolls. In light of the implications, the recovery of the map scroll has been our top priority. We have been able to get very little intelligence on Travisian's recent movements. However, it seems that he no longer has the scroll in his possession. During the last few days, he passed it off to the conductor in the witch underground who helped him leave the country. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the conductor took the scroll to his brother, a Solomon witch hunter. Evidence suggests that this witch hunter has been in recent contact with Sir Integra Hellsing, head of the Hellsing Organization. He was also implicated in Sir Hellsing's escape from prison a few months ago, though his involvement was never confirmed. Furthermore, it appears that Sir Hellsing left England last night under a veil of secrecy. It is our belief that she is on her way to Japan to meet her associate and acquire the map scroll from him. As always, we await your orders._

Father Maxwell loosened his grip on the crumpled edges of the paper.

"It is as we feared," he said. "The map scroll has fallen into the wrong hands. There can only be one solution now. They must be stopped, at all costs."

9

The light of day washed over the jet's cabin and made Seras groan. Integra almost felt sorry for her. She looked like the classic secret agent. The jacket buttoned up to her chin, the hat shading her face, the sunglasses hiding her eyes. Integra could have laughed if she didn't pity her so much.

A ground crew rushed over with one of their rolling staircases. As soon as Integra stepped out of the jet she spotted Amon. He was standing several meters away, calmly leaning against his car. Integra had called ahead to have the airport staff let him drive right onto the runway. There was no way she was going to go traipsing through the terminal like a common passenger. Leaving the others to deal with the luggage, Integra went over and stood beside Amon in the bright sunlight. They were silent for a moment while Integra lit a cigar.

"You're not taking that in my car," Amon said.

"Really…" Integra responded. "I'm used to getting my way."

"I can see that," Amon said. His eyes tracked the progress of unloading the bags from the plane. They had managed to get the hold open and Seras had jumped in to get away from the sun. She passed the first of many bags down to the first person in a relay line that stretched over to the trunk of Amon's car. Walter marched up and down the line to make sure nothing went wrong.

Integra followed Amon's gaze. "I packed light," she said with a puff of smoke.

Amon looked at her, eyebrows raised. He seemed about to say something but his attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere. Seras had accidentally touched the silver handle on Integra's suitcase and yelped. Integra watched Amon's jaw tighten.

"You had to bring her?" he asked bad-temperedly.

"I couldn't leave both of them at home alone. They would cause trouble," she replied. "Be glad I didn't bring Alucard. I know how you feel about him."

"Try to keep her out of my way," Amon growled.

"You're in a very demanding mood this morning," Integra commented.

Amon said nothing. He continued to watch the activity going on around him and discreetly keeping tabs on the little vampire's movements.

"You really must try to get over this phobia of yours," Integra said, her teeth clamped on her cigar.

"Don't you have one too?" Amon retaliated.

"What are you referring to?" she asked.

"You're afraid that I'm right about you."

"Is that so?"

"You'll believe when we find the proof."

"I'm not sure I want to believe that," she said. "Not after all these years of destroying evil."

"Not all demons are evil," he said. "We both know that."

"This is different. It's me this time."

The pair stood silent for a few minutes. The crew finished loading up the bags in the trunk. Integra let the spent nub of her cigar fall to the ground.

"Are you ready to go now, your majesty?" Amon asked mockingly.

"Indeed I am," Integra replied smoothly.

Story Notes:

I realize that such a simple procedure is impossible post-9/11. But I didn't want to clutter my story with those details. And besides, who knows whose palm Integra greased to get such special treatment. One thing you can always count on in this world is a corrupt official.

"Sir Hellsing's escape from prison..." - See Hunting Dogs 3: Canine Rescue League. Posted in the Hellsing section. HD3 is my link to the end of the Hellsing anime series and it tells the story of how Amon and Integra first met.


	5. Chapter 5

10

Amon pulled his car away from the hotel doors and turned in the direction of Raven's Flat. Integra had started talking as soon as Walter and Seras had left the car. Once she got started complaining about things, she could go on forever. Amon knew that from the three-page email he received the last time she met with the Round Table. But it was nice to have some idle conversation for a change. He got distracted for a moment as he rejoined the traffic and when he refocused, she had moved on from the long flight to her own companions.

"And now Walter won't let me keep anything sharp in my office anymore," Integra was saying. "I would swear he sneaks in and moves my letter-opener while I'm not there."

"Why did you do it?" Amon asked.

Integra sighed. "I know I had a good reason at the time. But ask me today and I honestly cannot tell you."

"You don't remember?"

"That's what I just said. Must you repeat everything people say to you? That's a bad habit, you know."

Amon ignored the complaint. "Did you just go crazy?" he asked.

"That's a possibility," she said, striking him with a harsh glare.

"But you won't do it again?"

"Of course not."

"Why don't you stop him then?"

"He never takes it before my eyes. He's afraid I'll scold him."

"He's right."

"That's not the point."

11

Michael lifted his arms above his head and stretched his back. As he relaxed he leaned closer to the big window in front of him. His forehead almost touched the glass before he caught himself. At that awkward angle he saw Amon's car coming down the street. It turned into the underground garage as usual. Amon had told the others to keep the office running as normally as possible. They didn't know who might be watching so they had to avoid raising suspicion. When powerful magical forces were in play, they couldn't be too careful. The debacle with the jewel shards had taught them that much. Of course, all of that meant that Michael should be working at his computer and not staring out the window like an idiot.

Michael went back to his seat. The others were sitting around too, poring over case reports. Nagira was lounging on the couch with the scroll in one hand and a map of Honshu in the other. Robin stirred in her seat, as if she sensed her partner's approach. A few minutes later the elevator doors opened.

"And you think that's the meaning of life?" Amon was saying.

"Of course it is," Integra replied as they crossed the office. "What else could it be?"

"Is it wise to tell people that? Maybe you should keep it to yourself," Amon said.

"But that would be selfish," Integra said with a tiny grin.

Michael watched them climb the stairs to the Chief's office. He tried not to look at Integra's silvery blonde hair. It made him think of that night when Inuyasha had suddenly appeared in the office. He hadn't been that scared since the STN had raided his apartment. In the last few days he had gotten the feeling that Amon was acting strange. Why had he allowed Sir Integra to get involved in this? Michael was dying to find out what the secret was. But this time, Amon was telling him to stay out of it. His job was to keep everything running smoothly as a smoke screen for the special recovery mission. Even when Robin and Nagira got up and followed Amon into the Chief's office, Michael stayed where he was. Of course, he had to tap the security camera up there. He wanted to know what they were talking about.

12

Robin didn't want to sit down. The others pulled up chairs around the desk, but she stayed on her feet. It gave her the creeps just being in this room. It had been Zaizen's office when she first came here and to her, it still reeked of evil. Amon must have sensed it too though he gave no sign. Only the presence of friends made it bearable.

"Mr. Nagira, I presume," Integra said.

"You know my name," Nagira replied with a grin. "Has my little brother been complaining about me?"

"Not particularly," Integra said. "In fact, he doesn't mention you very much at all." She threw a glance at Amon.

"Can you blame me?" Amon asked.

"Did you really just say that out loud?" Nagira asked, one eyebrow raised.

Integra smiled a little and then got back on track. "I thought you were going to prove me wrong, Amon. Where is this proof of yours?"

"Nagira, the scroll," Amon said, suddenly more serious.

Nagira spread the scroll out on the desk.

"What's all this?" Integra asked scanning the document.

"Clues," Amon answered. "Clues that will lead us to our inheritance."

"Our inheritance? You must be worse off than I thought you were." Integra watched him with high interest.

"I've been saying that for years," Nagira joked.

Robin could tell that Integra wanted to hear more about the scroll. And Amon wasn't about to give up.

"When the Great Dog Demon died in the 14th century, he left behind two magical swords made from his own fangs. Tetsusaiga, the sword of destruction, and Tenseiga, the sword of healing. This scroll will lead us to the swords' current location."

"So, you want to get your hands on demon weapons? Is that it?" Integra questioned him.

Nagira smiled wickedly. "See, I'm not the only one who thinks that," he said. He and Integra exchanged glances, but then Amon fixed them both with a withering stare.

"It doesn't matter what I want," he said. "We have to keep the swords out of the wrong hands."

"So it's a treasure hunt then?" Integra said.

"I'm up for it," Nagira responded.

They glanced at each other again but looked away quickly.

"And who will be going on this quest?" Integra asked, turning back to Amon.

"Robin and I will go," Amon replied. "You two should keep your distance."

"Now hold on a minute…" Nagira broke in.

"You can't be involved in this," Amon said.

"I'm already involved," Nagira shot back. "That's my scroll and I go wherever it goes."

Amon was about to argue but Integra cut him off.

"He has a point," she said. "Wasn't he the one who brought this to your attention? He has a right to see it through to the end. And I do as well. You wouldn't have decided to search for the swords if it weren't for your burning desire to prove me wrong."

"Like it or not, we're going with you," Nagira said, suddenly calm again. "We can't let you have all the fun. Besides, I'm sure Robin would love to have some more company."

Robin didn't know what to say. She felt Amon's cool gaze before he even turned to look at her. Why did Nagira have to get her involved in his arguments?

"I think he's right." The words spilled from her mouth almost against her will. She could sense Amon's temper rising behind his slightly narrowed eyes.

"Looks like you're outvoted, Amon," Nagira said teasingly.

Amon's eyes flashed from person to person in the small room. He wasn't used to sharing power. Robin could tell he was trying to decide what his next move should be. Finally, he fixed Nagira with a commanding gaze and opened his mouth again.

"Alright," he said. "Let's find Kaede's village."

Story notes:

"Why did you do it?" - Integra and Amon are discussing Integra's suicide attempt at the end of episode 9 of Hellsing in which she stabbed herself in the neck with her letter opener.

"The debacle with the jewel shards... that night when Inuyasha had suddenly appeared in the office..." - See Hunting Dogs, posted in the WHR section. The first story in the HD series. It links the IY with WHR and the other modern dog tales.

Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga - Just a reminder, when used properly, the Tetsusaiga is capable of killing 100 demons in one sweep and the Tenseiga is capable of saving 100 lives in one sweep. Both techniques have been proven in the Inuyasha anime series.


	6. Chapter 6

13

Integra sat down to rest on a bench overlooking the urban sprawl on the other side of a wrought iron fence. The small park behind her was deserted and thick with the buzzing of cicadas in the trees. This was the first break she had taken since the four of them arrived in this suburb around midday. And now the sun was starting towards the western horizon. It was nice to get away from home and roam the streets for a while. But she hadn't expected her feet to hurt this much. She resolved to design a decent exercise routine for herself as soon as she got home.

"Whose idea was this?" Nagira asked as he collapsed beside her.

"I believe it was yours," Integra said. "I seem to recall you saying that we should search for the trail on foot."

"This is where Kaede's village used to be. How was I supposed to know this place had changed so much?" Nagira complained.

"Well, it's been 500 years and this is one of the most populous areas in the world."

"You could have said no."

Integra leaned forward and rested her elbows on her legs, feeling stupid. "I thought there might still be a marker at the trail head."

"Where'd Amon and Robin go? Maybe they had more luck than us."

"You also said we should split up to cover more ground," Integra said.

"I only said that because I knew Amon was going to say it."

"Was he also going to make that Ashton and Demi joke?"

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" Nagira asked, amused. He leaned back so he could watch Integra more carefully as she pulled a cigar from her pants pocket.

She looked up smirking. "You could tell? I'm impressed."

Nagira took out his lighter and wagged his finger at her while he struck up the little flame. "Don't underestimate me. I'll surprise you."

"I'll look forward to that," Integra replied snarkily, touching her cigar to the flame.

14

Amon rounded the corner into the park at exactly 4:44 pm. He knew that because he could hear Robin making a wish on her watch somewhere behind him. He somewhat expected to see Nagira slacking off, even though it had been his idea to go out there. But to find Integra, who had insisted on coming along, bumming around with him was a surprise.

"Geez, he really said that? To a thirteen-year-old? Unbelievable," Nagira was saying.

"Yes, you would think after two thousand years, he would know better," Integra said. "But he still says perverted things to me every so often."

"So what did you do?"

"Nothing. I was too shocked to speak back then and now I'd rather leave it alone. If I say something about it, that would only draw attention to it."

"You two should be searching," Amon interrupted.

Integra and Nagira turned halfway around and stared at Amon over the back of the park bench.

"We searched all over this neighborhood and we didn't find anything," Nagira said in self-defense.

"Don't scold unless you found something yourself," Integra jabbed.

"We did," Amon said. He paused for a moment to savor their shocked expressions and continued. "The caretaker of the local shrine told us that there's a 16th century trail marker here in this park."

"You're kidding," Nagira said.

"Take a look under your bench," Amon said.

Nagira leaned over in his seat until his head was hanging upside down. He regarded the small stone that jutted out of the ground under the bench.

"It's there, isn't it..." Integra said, closing her eyes.

"Yep, it's there," Nagira said as he sat up again. "I guess we got here first," he chuckled.

Integra sighed.

Robin wasn't paying any attention to the others. She was crouched down beside the bench, examining the marker.

"What does it say?" Nagira asked.

"I think this character means... _Dog_," she replied.

"We're on the right track," Nagira said cheerfully.

"Where does the scroll say to go next?" Integra asked, getting up from the bench.

"The forest of Musashi," Amon said. "We have to go north from here."

As they all tramped towards the car, Amon congratulated himself for pulling off his little deception so smoothly. It helped that Nagira had suggested they split up. It might have made Integra suspicious if he had said it himself. The local shrine near the site of Kaede's village was the Higurashi shrine and that was a dangerous place for Integra to wander around in. They didn't know when Kagome and Inuyasha would show up there and the risk of contaminating the time-stream was very high. He had taken pains to never mention to her the location of the time portal, just as Kagome had done with him. He knew that if she found out, there was a good chance she would insist on seeing it. And he couldn't allow that to happen.

Story Notes:

"...a wish on her watch..." - This refers to the superstition of making a wish on a clock when the numbers are all the same. ie. 4:44, 5:55. It happens ten times a day but the charm only works if you notice by chance.

"...perverted things..." - Integra and Nagira are discussing one of Alucard's lines from Integra's flashback in episode 10 of Hellsing. In the English dub, it was translated as "You make my blood boil." But in the original Japanese, it was so perverted that I'd rather not repeat it here.


	7. Chapter 7

15

Seras rested her chin in her hand and watched Walter pull pickled vegetables off his chopsticks.

"It's certainly been a while since I've had authentic Japanese food," he said between mouthfuls.

They had a lot of time to themselves while Sir Integra was off on her treasure hunt, so they decided on an early dinner as soon as Seras got up. Not that she could eat anything the restaurant served. She had to make do with only a simple glass of water and some good conversation.

"When were you last here?" she asked.

"Nine years ago," Walter began. "It was soon after Sir Integra took control of the Hellsing Organization. I came to meet with two of Solomon's top operatives. O dear, I can't even remember their names anymore. We had been at odds with Solomon for several months and we decided to hold the meeting in a neutral location. We chose Japan because of its..."

Walter's voice was muffled by an onigiri but Seras had already lost the thread anyway. She watched the crowds of pedestrians pass the open windows of the restaurant in the darkening evening. Tokyo seemed like such a lively place. She wished that her Master Alucard was there to share it. At that moment a tall figure in the throng caught her eye. Paladin Anderson towered over the residents of Tokyo like a skyscraper. Seras opened her mouth to scream but Walter's hand suddenly clamped down over her face.

"Please stay calm," he hissed in her ear. "We don't want him to notice us, do we?"

Seras exhaled slowly and Walter released her.

"What are we going to do?" she asked wildly.

"We will warn Sir Integra," Walter replied. "It cannot be a coincidence that he's here at the same time we are. His visit must have something to do with us."

"Do you think he's after the demon swords too?"

"His intentions are impossible to know right now. All we can do is speculate. But I would say the swords are a good guess."

Walter pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed.

16

Robin watched Integra's mood darken as she talked on her cell phone. She had been leaning against the car window but she sat up very quickly.

"You saw him? ... Yes, it must have something to do with that. ... Of course I know that, Walter. If he tries to get it from us he's a fool. He would be heavily outnumbered and severely outclassed. ... No, the best thing you can do is keep him under surveillance and stay out of trouble. Do not engage him under any circumstances. ... Take it in shifts. Get back to the hotel and let Victoria follow him alone for the night. ... I'll wait to hear from you. Do as I say and don't go off on your own."

Integra narrowed her eyes as she hung up the phone.

Amon eyed her warily from the driver's seat.

"Something wrong?" Nagira asked, leaning through the gap in the front seats.

"An old enemy of mine is in town," Integra said bad-temperedly. "It's under control for now but he could pose a serious problem later."

Amon tensed a little. Robin frowned in the seat behind him.

"Great," Nagira said sarcastically.

"It's getting dark," Amon said. "We should go back and pick up the trail in the morning."

"Losing your nerve?" Integra commented with malicious intent. "Isn't it a coincidence that it should be you? Especially since it was out of consideration for your fear that I left my strongest fighter at home."

Amon stopped for a red light and turned on Integra, scowling.

"That was your choice," he said harshly. "I never asked you."

Integra and Amon glared at each other like enemies until Nagira jumped in.

"Hey, do I have to separate you two?" he said. "We're all on the same team here."

Robin swallowed nervously. Amon and Integra turned away from each other at first but they kept throwing nasty looks at each other all the way back to the hotel. Robin hoped that the atmosphere would be better when they got back on the trail the next day.

Story Notes:

"...two of Solomon's top operatives..." - This line can refer to anyone. Father Juliano, Zaizen, it doesn't matter. I threw it in there just to tease.

Onigiri - a rice ball. Using that word reminds me of the Fruits Basket manga. We certainly have the cursed family thing going right now, don't we?


	8. Chapter 8

17

Integra's mood had not improved the next morning when Amon and the others arrived to pick her up at the hotel. Robin could tell by the determined way she was walking that she had something to say. And it wasn't going to be good.

"Still sneaking around with that toddler, cradle-robber?" she sneered as she slid into the passenger seat.

"Still shacking up with that walking corpse, grave-robber?" Amon retaliated.

"Don't start that again," Nagira protested. But they ignored him.

"Flea-bitten, dumpster-diving, stray cur," Integra said while gazing nonchalantly out the window.

"Steak-fed, pillow-sitting, lapdog of a figurehead monarch," Amon said, guiding the car back into traffic.

"Somewhere Vladimir Nabokov is laughing," Integra said.

"Somewhere Mary Shelley is laughing," Amon said.

"You guys are making my head hurt," Nagira growled.

Integra and Amon fell silent but the air between them still crackled with rage.

"Are we going into the forest of Musashi today?" Robin asked just to break the tension.

No one answered but Amon turned the car onto a northbound street, the right direction. They all rode in silence for a few minutes until Nagira leaned closer to Robin.

"I'll bet you didn't think traveling with a pack of dogs would be this fun," he said.

Robin smiled a little at the joke but the air was so heavy in the car that she couldn't laugh.

18

A half hour passed slowly and quietly as the group drove north through the suburbs. Nagira pulled out the map of historic shrines that he had found the night before. There were dozens of them in the area but none of the names mentioned anything about a trickster. Amon had narrowed their search to only the sixteenth century shrines and that helped. There were only four shrines in the area that dated to that time period and only two of those were north of the trail marker. Nagira noticed that they were circled on the map. Amon must have done it that morning. How condescending, Nagira thought. As if Amon was the smart one in the family. But Amon only became truly condescending when something was upsetting him. Nagira studied Amon and Integra sitting in the front seats doing their best to avoid each other in the small space. Did it bother him that much that she blamed him for her current predicament? And was it really his fault? Or was she just attacking out of nervousness?

"What is it?" Integra asked.

Nagira blinked. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed her turn around.

"It's nothing," he said, recovering quickly. "I was just looking at you."

Integra narrowed her eyes a bit but the corner of her mouth turned up slightly.

"I do hope we'll be splitting up again today." she said teasingly.

"Well, that's pretty bold of you," Nagira laughed.

"Don't take it the wrong way," Integra said with a perfectly straight face. "I simply don't want to spend the whole day in the company of this neurotic fool. His affliction might be contagious."

Nagira laughed out loud. This woman had spirit by the truckload. And he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Amon had been monitoring the conversation and he chose that moment to look over at them with narrowing eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Integra snarled at him.

Amon moved his eyes back to the road and said nothing.

Story Notes:

"...figurehead monarch..." - Amon is referring to the fact that England is no longer ruled by the royal family. While they remain important figures in international diplomacy, the Parliament has taken over almost all of their governing power.

Vladimir Nabokov - author of _Lolita_. Plot: A middle-aged man becomes obsessed with a young girl.

Mary Shelley - author of _Frankenstein_. Plot: A scientist uses dead body parts to build and animate a monster.

I know that I'm using some high-brow abuse here. I figured that those would fit the modern dogs best since they all show a certain intellectual refinement. And high-brow insults have more of the smart, vicious quality that I wanted.


	9. Chapter 9

19

Integra and Nagira stood on the stairs leading up to the Nagashite shrine and watched Amon and Robin drive away.

"I wonder if we'll find something ourselves this time." Integra said darkly as they turned away from the road and started climbing.

"So, can you tell me what's going on between you and Amon?" Nagira asked, as he walked beside her.

Integra eyed him warily for a moment and then sighed.

"I suppose you'll find out anyway," she began. "Amon is afraid of vampires. So I left my strongest pet vampire at home. And unfortunately, he's the only one strong enough to defeat the enemy that's tracking us right now. Not having him here leaves us vulnerable."

"And you blame Amon for that."

"No, not really."

"But you said..."

"I was angry. I was looking for someone to blame. He didn't deserve it."

"Why don't you tell him so?"

"I think I'll wait a little while longer."

"I get it. You're just letting him stew for now."

Integra let a small but wicked smile pass across her face. Nagira watched it come and go. They continued up the stairs into the shrine grounds and just as they were realizing that the place was practically empty, Nagira opened his mouth again.

"You've got a real mean streak, you know that Buffy?"

"What did you call me!" Integra demanded, wide-eyed.

"Buffy, as in Buffy the Vam..."

"I know that. Why did you...?"

"It's just a nickname."

"Don't give me a nickname. Especially not that one."

"Why not? It fits."

"Where in the name of heaven did you get such a ridiculous idea?"

20

Robin fanned herself with the folded shrine map as she wandered down a flower strewn walkway in the second shrine. She had forgotten its name but it certainly was pretty. There were blossoming trees everywhere and every time the wind blew, more of the petals would fall onto the paved path. There were already so many that Robin's footsteps were muffled. At the end of the path Robin could see a small structure. It wasn't connected to the main shrine building which stood off to the right behind the trees. But it looked very old. As Robin got closer, the thought occurred to her that this little outbuilding could easily be a few hundred years old. Should she call Amon?

When they'd arrived at the shrine gate, the priestess Miss Mizuki had told them that there were several old buildings still standing on the grounds. They had split up right away and made plans to meet at the tall tree that stood in front of the main building. They had also agreed to call each other if they found anything interesting. Was this interesting enough? No, not yet. If she called him and it turned out to be nothing, he'd be mad. This was a very bad time for that considering that he and Sir Integra were already fighting.

As Robin approached the old building, she noticed that the double sliding doors were open slightly. Without considering what Amon would say, she pulled them open and waited a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness inside. A dark orange shape hung on the wall a few meters in front of her. The light from outside didn't reach far enough to illuminate it properly so she couldn't tell exactly what it was. She moved forward and reached out her hand. A chill ran down her spine as she touched soft fur. She knew what it was then. A fox pelt, and a big one too. In fact, it was too big to be a normal fox. Could this be…? She stepped back and tried to take in as many details as she could. The edges were ragged as if whoever had removed it from the body had done so in a hurry. There was a small bald spot on one side that looked like an electrical burn. Robin pulled her phone from her pocket and speed dialed Amon's number.

"It's me," she said when he answered. "I think I found the trickster."

Story Notes:

The Nagashite shrine is completely fictional.

"Buffy..." - Please forgive me. I couldn't resist. Watch for this to become a running gag.

Miss Mizuki - If this name seems familiar to you then you must have been a CLAMP fan at some time in your life. Miss Mizuki was an ally of Sakura Kinomoto in Cardcaptor Sakura. She was the one who rescued Sakura and her friends from the trap laid by the Maze card. She helped capture the Wood and Rain cards. She also appeared as Sakura's math teacher and the priestess of the local shrine where my story catches up with her. If you saw the uncut Japanese version of the series, you might also remember the big tree in front of the shrine. That was the tree that the Return card had possessed when it revealed that Miss Mizuki had an affair with Sakura's brother Touya.

"…electrical burn…" - This proves that the pelt belongs to Shippo's father. He was killed by a lightning attack from Manten of the Thunder Brothers who wore the fox's skin as a belt. The pelt disappeared right after it was recovered from the Thunder Brothers in episode 10 of Inuyasha. Its final resting place was never revealed.


	10. Chapter 10

21

It was late in the evening when they all sat down on the couch in Integra's hotel room and pulled out the map scroll again. Robin pushed her bangs out of her eyes and read the next passage again.

"The Howling River... What does that mean?" she asked.

"That could mean anything," Nagira replied leaning back in his seat. "It could just be a big loud stretch of rapids."

"No," Integra said. "I think I know what it means. There are dogs at the end of the trail. The second checkpoint was a fox. Logically, 'howling' must refer to wolves."

"That's possible," Amon said, not giving an inch.

Integra noticed Nagira eyeing her. Nagira noticed Amon's disapproving scowl. But none of them noticed Robin watching all of them. When Walter walked into the room, Integra wasted no time calling him into the little kitchenette to give his report on the surveillance. Amon slipped into the bedroom to call the Higurashi shrine. If anyone would know about local wolf demons, they would. Robin kept her eyes on Nagira as he counted all the eastbound rivers he could see on his Honshu map. He didn't seem any different at all. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on with him. Finally, Robin leaned forward and spoke quietly.

"Is there something bothering you?"

Nagira was a little surprised and it took him a moment to answer.

"No... What makes you ask that?"

"It's just that you've been watching Sir Integra a lot these past couple of days."

"Yeah. So what?" he asked, taking out a cigarette.

"Are you in love with her?"

Nagira froze with his lighter still an inch away from his cigarette.

"You sure know how to be direct, don't you?" he said.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me. I was just curious."

"Don't be sorry," Nagira said smiling and lighting his cigarette. "I like it. That's how I know you're honest."

"So... Do you...?"

"I like her. I think she's interesting. And she's a hell of a lot more fun than Amon."

That was all he could say. The others came back into the room and they had to drop the subject.

22

Integra tried not to be distracted from the job at hand as Walter went off to his own room. But the news from the surveillance had been bad. Paladin Anderson had been sniffing around near Raven's Flat. That meant that he knew who was involved and where they were likely to show up. If he got wind of the trail they were following, how long could they outmaneuver him? The way Integra saw it, their only chance was to get to the swords before the Paladin did. Perhaps with magical weapons in hand they would be able to make a stand against him. Until then, it would be wise to carry a gun at all times.

"It looks like you were right," Nagira said.

The sound of his voice broke into Integra's thoughts and shocked her back into the moment.

"About what?" she asked.

"About the wolves. Weren't you listening?" Nagira said.

Integra was about to answer but Amon cut her off.

"There was a pack of wolf demons in the Kanto region back in the Feudal Era. They had a territory up in the mountains north of Tokyo. Apparently, the den was hidden behind a waterfall. That's our only lead. If we can find that waterfall, we'll have the right river and we can follow it down to the coast."

"But how are we going to do that?" Nagira asked. "There must be dozens of waterfalls up there."

"We have to narrow it down somehow," Robin said.

"Excuse me," Walter said, poking his head into the room. "I think perhaps I can help."

He disappeared from the doorway and reappeared a minute later with a small but thick book. Integra read the title out loud as Walter handed it over.

"Scenic Waterfalls of Japan? Where did you find this, Walter?"

"I bought it in London before we left. I thought we might get some touring in while we were here," Walter said.

"That's way too convenient," Nagira said, leaning closer to see.

"Our next checkpoint should be somewhere in here," Integra said. "And I'll find it myself tonight."

She threw a challenging look at Amon but he didn't object.

"I'll leave it to you then," he said almost dismissively.

Fine, Integra thought. She could take anything he could dish out.


	11. Chapter 11

23

An hour later, Nagira got up from the couch and stretched his back.

"If you guys have this under control, I'm going home," he said.

"Alright, good night," Robin said. She got up too and waved to Nagira on her way into the bathroom.

Nagira waved back and headed for the door. He had just grabbed the door handle when he suddenly stopped and called back to Integra.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Buffy," he said, throwing a grin over his shoulder at her.

"Don't call me that," she growled with a smirk.

Nagira's laugh echoed slightly in the empty hallway as he disappeared from the doorway.

When Integra looked back at Amon, he was standing over her glaring.

"What?" she asked, knowing it wouldn't be good.

"Stop playing with him," Amon hissed

Integra chose to ignore his tone for the moment and answered.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. It distracts him from the mission."

"Is he your pet that you can tell me to stay away from him? This has nothing to do with the mission. What is it that's really bothering you about this?"

Amon locked eyes with her and said nothing.

"I see," she said with laughing eyes. "It's because he's your brother. Am I like a sister to you? Is that why this thing between myself and him disturbs you so much?"

Amon's face soured. "Leave him alone, Integra."

Integra leaped off the couch and snarled at him. "I'll play with whoever I please. I won't be chased off by a cowardly son of a witch like you."

Amon froze, his whole body tensing up. Integra knew she had crossed a line. But where? And how? Before she could ask, Amon turned away from her and swept out the door. He turned just outside and went straight for the stairwell at the end of the hall. Integra followed him until his footsteps on the stairs echoed back through the doorway. He was going up.

Integra didn't wait long. She jumped to catch the door before it clicked shut and slipped up the stairs. She found the door to the roof propped open and emerged into the night air. She could see Amon crouched on the far edge, looking out over the wide cityscape. She gathered her courage and walked towards him. He had his back to her and he didn't react at all, but she knew he could hear her moving. She didn't stop until she was standing beside him on the edge of the roof. He still didn't acknowledge her. She decided to take a chance.

"I'm sorry," she said blatantly.

Amon said nothing.

"Do you know how many people I've said those words to in my entire life? Maybe three. I've always been too proud to apologize for anything."

Nothing. She could see that he wouldn't accept any ordinary offering. She would have to go to the extreme. A wave of anxiety rushed through her, making her hesitate. Was it really worth that? Of course it was. She couldn't leave things like this.

"You know you're my friend, don't you?"

Amon looked up at her, searching her face for laughter or deception. He found neither.

"Do you know how many people I've said those words to in my entire life? None. When I was a child, I had people I would talk to in school. But I never called them my friends. Walter and Alucard work for me and I trust them implicitly, but I've never called them my friends either. You are the only friend I've ever admitted to having."

Amon kept his eyes on her while she looked out over the city and continued.

"Did I ever tell you how my father died? Lung cancer. It was an aggressive type. I watched him die in slow motion for months. I sat with him at the end. He died almost in my hands."

"How old were you?" Amon asked, finally responding.

"Thirteen," she said.

Amon turned to look at the city again.

"My mother was a witch," he said, making Integra look at him. "My father disappeared before I was born. It was just the two of us. Solomon watched us because we were seeds. But I didn't mind as long as she was there. When she awakened, it was a miracle that we were both unharmed. But afterwards things changed. She wouldn't leave home. She wouldn't speak. She stared out the window for hours at a time. It was like she wasn't there anymore. She lost herself. It took two months, but the STN came for her. I was sent to live with Nagira. And mother... They didn't leave witches alive in those days."

"How old were you?" Integra asked.

"Twelve."

There was a long pause as they both reabsorbed their pain. Finally, Integra spoke again as she pulled a cigar from her pocket.

"That's the fate of those who hunt evil, I suppose. It's the price we pay for fighting back. Perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible if we were Dog Demons. At least it's an explanation."

Amon stood up then.

"Your father died of lung cancer?" he asked.

Integra nodded.

Amon's hand flashed through the air and snatched the cigar from her hand. Before she could react he threw it as far as he could over the next block.

Integra looked down at her empty hands for a moment, bewildered.

"That was my last one," she said. "I'm going to make you pay me back. I hope you know that."

Amon said nothing but he gave her a playful smirk as he turned back towards the stairwell.

When they got back to the room, Robin jumped up from the couch where she'd been sitting and waiting.

"You're back," she said. "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing," Integra said.

"Robin, let's go," Amon said.

Story Notes:

I could have made them hold each other and cry. But who am I kidding? This is Integra and Amon I'm dealing with here. There's more chance of a meteor hitting exactly where they're standing.


	12. Chapter 12

24

Integra leaned back in her seat on the couch and rubbed her eyes behind her glasses. It had been two hours since she started going through the tour book and she still hadn't found the right waterfall. Even the geographical parameters didn't seem to help. The mountains of the Kanto Range were full of waterfalls. The wolf den was a needle in a haystack. A person could go crazy trying to find it. Why had she volunteered to do this? What was the secret? There had to be some trick to it. The real Buffy could have figured this out by now.

Why did that thought just pop into her head like that? She shook her head and smiled a little. Stupid nickname. It didn't matter. The real Buffy would have come up with some clever way of locating the next checkpoint. Some obscure magical rule, or capturing a little demon witness, or maybe an impossibly convenient common denominator among the other checkpoints.

Integra's eyes widened. A common denominator. Could there be one? What did the other two checkpoints have in common? The trail marker had been outside and the fox pelt had been hung indoors. The marker had been in a park while the pelt had been in a shrine. But... there was a shrine close to the park. Could that be it? Was there a shrine near the waterfall too? Integra flipped to the back of the tour book and ran her finger down the index page. Shrines...

Integra grinned in triumph as she flipped through the page references from the index. Out of all the waterfalls in Japan, there seemed to be only five waterfalls in the mountains north of Tokyo with associated shrines. And of those, only one had a cave big enough to be habitable for a large group. The name of the stream wasn't given in the tiny article so they'd have to go up there and see it themselves. Akagi seemed pretty far to drive but maybe they could take the train instead. Integra reached for the phone. She hoped Amon was still awake and ready to have his nose rubbed in it.

25

Alexander Anderson made sure he wasn't sitting too close to the window as he picked up the hotel phone and dialed. The creature hiding somewhere outside had ears that could rival a parabolic microphone. And she would certainly be interested in this phone call.

"Father Anderson? Is that you?" the young voice on the other end of the line said almost immediately.

"Aye," Anderson responded. "What have ye found?"

"We had nothing for the past few days, sir. But just a few minutes ago we had a lucky break. Someone on a secure network just booked four tickets on the 10:00 am train to Akagi. The old wolf demon territory. It looks like you were right, sir. They are following the map scroll."

"Good work, Yumie," Anderson said. "Ye'll be hearin' from me again soon."

He hung up the phone and smiled a wide toothy smile. What a stroke of luck. An opportunity to head off his quarry was worth suffering through the annoying surveillance. Tomorrow would be a good day. He could feel it.

Story Notes:

"...some clever way..." - All the things Integra thinks of here have been used in real Buffy episodes.

Akagi - If this name seems familiar to you then you must have been a fan of Initial D at some time in your life. Akagi is the home town of Ryosuke and Keisuke Takahashi, two of the best street racers in Gunma prefecture. If you believe the hype, they spend every waking moment flying up and down the winding mountain roads on Mt Akagi. Our canine heroes better look both ways before they cross the road, especially in wolf territory.

"...parabolic microphone..." - For those who weren't raised on crime dramas, a parabolic microphone is a long-range listening devise. It's capable of picking up sounds from over ten times the distance covered by an ordinary microphone. It can even hear through cars or walls. It's often used in surveillance because it allows the listener to keep a safe distance from their target while still hearing every word.

Yumie - If this name seems familiar to you, then you must have read at least some of the original Hellsing manga. Yumie was a side character who never appeared in the anime series. However, Yumie and some other Iscariot people will be included in the new OVA series slated to be released in the next year or so.


	13. Chapter 13

26

The mild summer warmth of the past week was only a memory as Amon and the others dragged themselves through the thick humid sunlight. The desert wasteland of tar and concrete seemed to stretch on forever between the car and the train station. At least it would be cooler in the mountains, Amon thought.

"Can we please slow down a little?" Nagira asked from several paces behind.

Amon hadn't realized he'd been walking fast at all but when he looked back, the others were panting and trying to keep up.

"Hurry up," he said. "Our train leaves in twenty minutes."

"Am I truly related to you?" Integra asked with mild contempt.

"By my calculations, we're at least nine generations removed from each other and probably more," Amon said in reply.

"Nine? I guess that's enough," Nagira said thoughtfully as he wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Enough for what?" Robin asked.

"Nothing. Never mind," Nagira said.

"That was a bizarre thing to say," Integra said, eyeing him.

They all went quiet again until they were standing in line to pick up their reserved tickets at the entrance to the station. Nagira was the first to break the silence.

"Hey, Amon, tell us our itinerary. If we get separated, we need to be able to meet up again."

"We're taking the Joetsu Shinkansen to Takasaki. At Takasaki, we change trains and get on the local Joetsu line. That takes us to Akagi Village at the foot of Mt Akagi. Once we arrive there, it should be easy to get up to where the waterfall is."

They were just walking into the crowded noisy station when Integra's cell phone rang.

"Hello?... Walter?... Wait, I'll put you on speakerphone. Alright, what's happened?"

"I'm still watching our friend the Paladin. Sir Integra, would you please tell me exactly where you are right now."

"We're at Tokyo station. The main Yaesu entrance. Why?"

"Oh dear..."

"Walter, what's wrong?"

"Well, it seems I'll be seeing you sooner than I expected."

"He's coming here!"

"I'm afraid it's worse than that, ma'am."

"How much worse?"

"Look towards the wall directly in front of you."

Integra looked up and her eyes widened. The others followed her gaze and saw the tall figure standing by the wall. He hadn't noticed them yet.

"My apologies for the late warning." Walter's voice sounded scratchy over the phone.

"Don't apologize Walter. Do not blow your cover, even if we have to fight."

"Understood, ma'am."

27

Integra could feel her heart rate rising. She had managed to hold Paladin Anderson at bay once by herself. But only for a moment and she had been expecting Alucard's swift backup then. What would she do now? Nothing, she decided. She would sneak herself and her group onto the train. If they could just get to the platform without being seen, they could slip right through the enemy's trap. All was not lost, there was still hope. Integra signaled to the others and moved down the huge lobby. Luckily, there were enough people there to hide them from direct line of sight. The ticket gate for the Joetsu Shinkansen was just visible through the milling crowd. Beyond it was the staircase that would take them to the raised platform. Integra had her ticket in her hand, reaching out for the ticket gate when that familiar voice boomed over the noise of the station.

"So ye thought ye could escape, did ye?"

Integra's head snapped around in the direction of the sound. Paladin Anderson was still several dozen meters away. He was moving slower than normal, pushing aside the smaller people around him, as if he were wading through water.

Integra was suddenly acutely aware of her surroundings. She smelled the blood of dozens of monsters as her enemy reached around his back and pulled out one of his huge knives. The screaming of the bystanders made her jump and come back to herself.

"Move," she commanded as the paladin got closer. Amon, Robin, and Nagira sent their tickets through the electronic reader and hurried onto the other side. Integra herself went last. She kept her free hand on her gun and her eyes on her enemy as she moved. He was already spouting bible quotes which Integra had long since learned to disregard. Once on the other side of the gate, she realized that she was on the edge of panic and she forced herself to calm down.

"Five minutes," Amon called out. Integra turned and nodded to him. That made her feel a little better. But five minutes could be a long time in a fight with a strong opponent. Amon knew that too. By the time the train left the station, they could all be dead. Integra looked back at Paladin Anderson as she reached the foot of the stairs. He met her eyes and raised his knife to slice through the ticket gate. Integra turned back to run up the stairs but almost ran into Robin. The girl was standing on the stairs with her glasses on. As the paladin's knife reached the highest point above his head, the witch used her craft. Anderson growled as the knife grew hot in his hands and the blade folded down on itself. Integra had to turn sharply again when she heard Nagira's teasing voice ring out from the top of the stairs.

"Don't worry about it, it happens to lots of guys!"

Integra allowed herself a snorting laugh before continuing on up the stairs. Robin ran beside her, smiling a little mischievous smile. Integra couldn't help smiling too. The feeling lasted until they reached the right platform. The train was ready to leave and they were announcing final boarding. Again, Integra was the last one to the door as they got on the first car. She reached for the handle beside the door but she had to stop when a knife flew from behind and buried itself in the metal inches from her hand. She snarled and spun around. The paladin was standing a few meters away, another knife already in his hand. Integra had finally had enough. She drew her gun from her belt and aimed.

"A weapon like that canna' scare me," Anderson said, advancing.

Integra's hand tightened on the grip of the gun but she never pulled the trigger. She felt someone grab the back of her shirt and yank her backwards onto the train. The door slammed shut in front of her and she heard Anderson's howl of rage as the train began to pick up speed. She didn't even have time to protest before Nagira's face appeared inches from her own.

"Are you nuts?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "He could have killed you. And you can't fire a gun in a crowded train station."

Integra's shock wore off just enough to let her answer.

"And what should I have done? Let him kill us all?"

Nagira's face darkened even more. "You should have gotten on this train right away instead of putting yourself in danger like that."

"Why do you care so much?" Integra demanded.

"Because you scared the hell out of me," Nagira said almost angrily. He took half a step back, stuck his hands in his pockets, and moved off toward their seats. Integra didn't move for a moment. She stood there by the door, using her hand to steady herself against the plastic wall. She took a deep breath and then followed Nagira deeper into the train. They had gotten four seats that faced each other, which had seemed like a good idea the night before. Nagira had taken the window seat beside Robin. Integra slid into the aisle seat next to Amon. Nobody spoke but Integra managed to get supportive looks Robin and Amon. Nagira stared out the window and wouldn't meet her gaze. After a few minutes, she decided to try again later.

Story Notes:

"nine generations" - This was my conclusion after calculating life-spans influenced by demon blood. I remembered to compensate for the ever-increasing diluting effect of human blood in each generation. That figure is as close to accurate as I can get it with the information I have. Email me for a full explanation.

"Joetsu..." - All this travel information is absolutely correct. I researched everything on the official website of the East Japan Railway Company. Don't believe me? Google "JR-East" and see for yourself.

"Yaesu entrance..." - I had a map of Tokyo station sitting on my screen the whole time I was writing this scene. The map was dated January 2006. Let it never be said that I don't do my research.


	14. Chapter 14

28

The air was cool when Robin stepped off the train onto the platform. She made sure Amon was standing nearby and then turned to face the mountain that stood over the town. Mt Akagi looked a lot friendlier than she had expected. It was carpeted with trees from top to bottom. The only breaks in the greenery were some crags and ravines that Robin could see even from a few miles away. It seemed like the sort of place wolves would like. Robin hardly noticed when the others came up and stood beside her in a row.

"Where do we go from here?" Nagira asked. It was clear to Robin that he expected Amon to answer, so when Integra spoke up first it took him by surprise.

"According to the tour book, we have to take a mountain road past Akagi-Kohgen Hospital," she said. "Does anyone have a local road map?"

Amon reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded map that he had bought on the train. Nagira watched curiously as Integra reached across his chest and snatched the map from Amon's hand. She pulled it open and started scanning for the train station. Nagira smiled a little.

"You recover a lot faster than I do," he said.

"Are you still upset?" Integra asked without looking at him.

"Of course not," he replied, only half seriously.

Integra smirked.

"I'm so glad you two are talking again," Robin said.

"What do you mean?" Nagira asked, looking away.

"We never stopped talking," Integra added, still looking at the map.

"Oh, but I thought…" Robin began but Amon held up his hand, telling her to stop. She shut her mouth, but she still wondered if they had been sitting in the same uncomfortably quiet train car she had. It made as little sense to her as the existence of vampires.

"Shall we get a car?" Integra suggested.

"Yeah," Amon responded.

29

"How far did the tour book say to go?" Amon asked from the driver's seat of the rental car.

"It doesn't say how far to go," Integra replied, flipping back to the right page in the book.

"This is ridiculous," Nagira complained in the back seat.

"The waterfall might be far up at the top of the mountain," Robin said.

"Don't whine," Integra commanded. "It may be just around the corner."

There was nothing left for the four of them to do except keep their eyes peeled for the wolf den. They had been driving up the wooded mountainside for half an hour and they had seen a wide stream near the road several times. But there was no sign of the waterfall they were looking for. Amon wondered whether they had come to the right mountain. Integra could have been wrong when she identified the checkpoint. He glanced over at her as she focused her eyes just beyond the roadside. The other two were doing the same on either side of the car.

Amon brought his gaze back to the road. The two-lane strip of tar careened up the slope as if it were drunk. As they went uphill, the curves were getting blinder and the grades steeper. Amon had to keep his foot on the gas pedal just to keep moving forward. They were just coming around another sharp curve when something appeared from the other side. Amon recognized a big yellow spoiler flying straight at him and slammed his foot down on the brake. The other car began to pull out of it's drift, but Amon knew it was too late. There was no time.

Story Notes:

Mt Akagi - The town and the mountain are both absolutely real. Any map of Gunma prefecture will show them.

"Akagi-Kohgen Hospital" - The hospital is also real. It's a small private hospital specializing in the treatment of alcoholism and related problems. It's also supposedly run by Ryosuke and Keisuke's father in Initial D. Google Akagi+hospital for more info.

"As they went uphill..." - Please bear in mind that I haven't seen the early episodes of Initial D in quite a while. So I'm trying to describe the Akagi race course from a not-so-fresh memory. If someone notices a flaw in my facts, don't hesitate to tell me.

"...spoiler..." - For those who aren't into cars, a spoiler is a piece of metal attached to the back of a car. People say it looks like a wing but it has the opposite effect. Supposedly, it's shape causes the air passing over it to push the car's rear end towards the ground, improving traction on the back tires. Cars equipped for racing (like Keisuke's yellow FD) sometimes have these installed.


	15. Chapter 15

30

Robin's life passed before her eyes. She made it to her tenth birthday party before the yellow sports car disappeared from the road ahead. She didn't even see it pass by the side of the rental car, but she knew it must have because she was still alive. Amon kept his foot on the brake and the car stopped, nose pointing into the outside curve of the road. The sports car spun around and stopped a few yards behind them. The driver's side window rolled down and a 20-something-year-old boy with wild dark blonde hair stuck his head out.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked.

Robin's window had been open for the breeze and she heard the boy's call behind Integra's snarling and cursing. She stuck her head out and answered as politely as she could.

"We're alright," she said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the boy said.

Nagira rolled his window down too and joined in the exchange.

"Sorry to ruin your run. You looked like you were really in the zone," he said.

"No big deal," the boy replied. "It was just practice."

Meanwhile, Integra got over her rage and decided to make use of the situation. She stuck her head out of her window too.

"If you practice your driving here then you must be a local, is that right?"

"Yeah," said the boy.

"Do you know where we can find a waterfall on this mountain with a large cave behind it?"

"Oh, yeah. I know that place," the boy said and he pointed up the slope. "Three more corners up there's a dirt road that goes off into the woods. That'll lead you right to it. You won't be able to make it in that car, though. You need 4-wheel drive, or you can walk it. It's only about a quarter mile."

Integra sighed heavily at the prospect of trudging through the woods and slipped back into her seat.

"Thank you so much," Robin finished for her.

"No problem," the boy said. He was about to slide back down into his seat, but Robin called out to him again.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Keisuke Takahashi," he responded. A moment later, he had spun his car around again and went flying down the winding road towards the town.

31

Ten minutes later the four of them parked the car on the side of the road and started down the bumpy jeep trail that led to the waterfall. Integra was making a statement by walking in front and Amon was content to follow along behind her. Nagira and Robin walked side by side a little farther back. Nagira was enjoying the cool breezes that blew around the mountain. He rarely felt wind like this in the city. And when it did happen, each gust stank of gasoline or fast food. He supposed that living in that kind of environment had made him somewhat jaded. But that didn't seem to matter at the moment.

"What kind of driving was he practicing?"

Nagira pulled his gaze from the trees overhead and looked down at Robin.

"You say something?" he asked.

"I was just wondering what sort of driving Keisuke was practicing," she said. "It didn't look like normal driving."

Nagira grinned. "It's called drifting," he explained. "It's a style of driving made for racing. The basic idea is to let the car slide around a corner so you don't have to slow down and lose momentum. I used to do a little of that back when I was around his age."

"Really?" Robin said, wide-eyed. "But you don't have a sports car. How did you...?"

"I used to have a great car, a little red coupe. I only raced it a few times before I graduated from college. When I started law school, I needed more money so I sold that car and got a cheap one."

"Do you ever miss car racing?"

"No, not really. It was just a hobby anyway."

Robin went quiet then and Nagira did too. He didn't want to disturb her with the truth, but he did miss racing. Those nights at the race course just outside of town were among his fondest memories from the last decade. Those outings almost every weekend were almost the only time Amon would spend with his big brother when he was a teenager.

Nagira could remember announcing to his mother that he was going out and heading for the door with Amon floating silently after him. Nagira never invited him to come along, but he came anyway. In the car on the way to the course, Nagira would babble on about the drivers that would be racing that night and Amon would stare out the window and listen. On the many occasions when Nagira himself wasn't racing, they would stop and pick up some take-out food on their way. And then they would park somewhere close to the end of the course and sit or stand among the crowd at the finish line. Amon rarely said a word, but Nagira knew he was enjoying himself. When the drivers would come around the last corner and charge the line, Nagira and Amon would both lean forward with excitement. No matter who won, Nagira always cheered out loud. And Amon would give him one of his little smirks that was almost a smile.

Those nights went on until Nagira started law school. It was never the same after he sold his car. It seemed like Amon lost interest in everything that had to do with his brother. He moved out and drifted farther and farther away until they hardly ever saw each other anymore. Nagira would never admit it to Amon, but part of the reason he had decided to come on this treasure hunt was for the simple quality time.

"We're here," Amon called back over his shoulder. And he was right. As Nagira and Robin came around a bend in the trail, they had to stop for a moment and catch their breath. The waterfall was taller and prettier than they'd expected. Integra was already looking for a way to pass behind the sheet of water without getting wet. As he got closer, Nagira could see that she would never find one. The waterfall was almost flush with the rock wall behind it. If they were going to get inside, they would have to jump right through the stream to where the lip of the cave floor was just visible through the mist. In a few minutes, they had all placed themselves on the rocks just in front of the falls.

"On the count of three?" Nagira suggested.

"One," Amon began.

"Two," Integra continued.

"Three," Nagira said with obvious delight.

They all jumped.

Story Notes:

"...the waterfall..." - This is the very same waterfall that first appeared in episode 36 of Inuyasha. It sheltered the den of the speed-obsessed wolf demon Kouga and his tribe.


	16. Chapter 16

32

Integra coughed and wiped the water from her eyes. As she put her glasses back on, she wondered if what she was about to see would be worth getting soaking wet for. She hated getting wet and if this turned out to be a waste of time, there was no telling what she might do. She could see the others silhouetted in the dim light that filtered through the rushing water behind them. It was too dark to see much else until Amon reached into his pocket and pulled out a small flashlight. He swiped the narrow beam back and forth across the cave. It was a much bigger space than Integra had expected. It was easy to imagine a tribe of wolf demons living here. The craggy rock walls and the thick layer of dust on the floor gave it a foreboding atmosphere. And it wasn't just the look of the place that caught Integra's attention. Now that she was more focused, certain smells were beginning to register in her brain. Even after centuries of being empty, the scent of living creatures still clung to the rocks and floated in the air. There was one particular smell, stronger than the others, that made her take notice.

She remembered being a little girl back home, playing some silly game with Walter. She had hid from him in a closet where her father hung old clothes. She had tried to squeeze into the very back of the small space and dislodged a big thick coat. When it fell on top of her, she was surrounded by a strange musty-sweet scent. Walter had heard the coat fall and he found her straight away. He told her that the coat had been given to her father as a gift from a Romanian nobleman whose life he'd saved before she was born. He also said it was very valuable because it was lined with wolf fur. This cave smelled almost the same as that coat.

"The scent of wolves," Amon said, as if he was reading Integra's mind.

"Didn't that kid we met earlier smell a little like this too?" Nagira asked.

"A little bit," Robin replied.

Robin was the first to move forward again and everyone else followed her. The cave was about fifty meters deep. When they reached the back, the flashlight beam fell on a carved stone marker just like the one in the park back in Tokyo.

"It looks like we're still on the right track," Nagira said.

"One more checkpoint and then those swords will be in our hands," Integra said.

33

"And you're certain that they went to Akagi Village?" Father Maxwell asked, his voice sounding tense over the long distance connection.

"Aye," Paladin Anderson replied. He wasn't exactly sure why Maxwell was asking for his report now. Especially since the mission wasn't going well. He would rather have waited until he'd had a chance to turn things around. But what choice did he have now?

"It seems we've underestimated our opponents," Father Maxwell said. "We must redouble our efforts to make this mission a success."

Anderson scowled for a moment. Redouble who's efforts? Certainly not Maxwell's. Since when had he put in any effort at all? But he couldn't say that out loud.

"Aye," he said. "Shouldna' be too hard to track 'em down. We know where they're headin'."

"Indeed," Father Maxwell returned. "They must not acquire those weapons. Such power is better off staying buried forever. Don't fail again."

The line went dead and Anderson hung up. A glance at the hotel alarm clock told him it was time to go down to the restaurant for dinner. He winced as he put his hands on the bedspread to push himself to his feet. The burns he'd received at the train station that morning were taking longer to heal than he'd expected. He looked at his palms and noticed the pattern of the burns again. The design on the hilt of his blessed knife was still clearly visible in the red patches of skin. Silently, he cursed the witch who had done this to him. That monster girl would pay.

Story Notes:

"...musty-sweet scent..." - It was discovered some time ago that smell is the strongest sense tied to memory. (That's right, those Ol' Spice ads weren't just BS.) That means that you're more likely to remember something you smelled as a child than something you saw or heard. Ironic, considering that our sense of smell is weak compared to other animals.

"Didn't that kid..." - Those who have been reading the HD series all along really don't need a note here. But for new people, I'm basically saying that the Takahashi brothers are wolf demons. And really, what better place is there for Kouga's boys to surface than in the street racing world.


	17. Chapter 17

Note: I'm really sorry it took me so long to get this chapter done. I decided to make this one longer. But I didn't expect it to take me so long to finish it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it.

34

Seras adjusted her sunglasses on her face as she watched Paladin Anderson leave his hotel room. She had positioned herself on the roof of the building opposite his window. From that vantage point, she could see the front door of the hotel and also the back exit of the restaurant on the ground floor where he often ate. She had used that same location for the last couple of nights. But now there seemed to be a real sense of urgency about the whole matter. Walter had felt terrible about the incident that morning and he was determined to make up for it. To that end, he'd hatched a new plot to trap the paladin. Seras' cell phone rang and she jumped a little. She hoped it was Michael. If it was good news then Walter's plan was working.

"Hello?" she answered.

"It's me," Michael said on the other end of the line. "We've got something. You were right. He's been calling his people on the hotel phone. The records confirmed it. And Mr. Walter was right too. Anderson didn't notice the bug you planted."

Seras sighed with relief. "Remind me to give you a kiss when I get back there. What did we get?"

There was a pause and Seras could almost hear him blushing over the phone line as he answered.

"You might want to wait on that. Here's where it gets a little hairy. It looks like he might know where the swords are already. If he gets there first it might be impossible to get the swords away from him. Even if we assume that Anderson is leaving in the morning, that doesn't give us a lot of time. Our people would have to burn up the road half the night to get there ahead of him. You should let them know sooner rather than later."

"Why can't you do it?" Seras asked.

"Cummon, I've got work to do," he replied.

"Thanks alot, Michael," Seras said with a little stress in her voice.

"Do I still get a kiss?" Michael asked hopefully.

"Sure, if I'm not hungry," Seras returned with a little grin. "If I am, I think I'd rather have a bite instead."

Michael laughed a little and so did she. It was a nice reprieve before she had to make the difficult phone call to Sir Integra.

35

For the second time that week, Integra looked very unhappy as she listened to her subordinate's report on her cell phone. Amon stood watching her while he squeezed water from his shirt. If he were so inclined, he would be laughing at her just as Nagira had done a moment before. It had been a rare comical sight to see her trying to maneuver her ringing cell phone out of her wet pocket. They had all completely forgotten about their phones when they entered the cave. When Integra finally answered her phone the rest of them had all taken theirs out and set them on a rock to dry.

"Damn them all to hell," Integra snarled as she hung up her phone and set it down with the others.

"More bad news, Buffy?" Nagira asked, not really expecting to get an answer. Integra fixed him with a look so sour, he had to turn away.

"Don't call me that," she growled low at first, but grew louder as she continued. "Our pursuers may know where the swords are. We must reach the end of the trail by morning. We won't be able to stop for the night." Even with her hair wet and stringy, she was not to be toyed with. Amon didn't care.

"Do you suppose this is another strike from the dog demon curse?" he teased.

Integra's head snapped around to him and a wicked hiss entered her voice.

"If you want me to be a dog so much, I will gladly oblige."

With that, she slapped her hands down on the rock beside her and shook herself as hard as she could. Robin and Nagira yelped and turned their backs. But Amon simply held his arm up to shield his face. When the spray stopped, Amon lowered his arm and locked eyes with Integra.

"Are you finished?" he asked, perfectly calm in the face of her fierce expression. "From what I understand, we really should get going."

For a moment, Integra looked as if she were about to spring at him and tear him limb from limb. But then she stood up straight and the rage seemed to sink under the surface again.

"We don't have time for this," she said, picking up her phone again. She marched past Amon onto the trail leading back to the car. Amon noticed that she slowed down at the first curve in the path to let them catch up.

36

Two hours later, the flashing of the streetlights past the car window was keeping Robin awake. She closed her eyes again and listened to Nagira's slow breathing in the seat next to her. Amon and Integra were still awake in the front seats. They had both been quiet since they left the waterfall that afternoon. Amon was driving with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the plastic cover of his coffee cup in the cup holder. Integra had been slowly slouching down in her seat and now she seemed half-way to the floor. She had to keep one hand up to support her head as she leaned against the door. Robin was just drifting off when Integra's voice brought her around again.

"You mentioned the dog demon curse at the waterfall today," she said, in a quieter voice than usual.

"Hmm..." Amon grunted in reply.

"Is it really the curse that causes these things to happen, I wonder."

"You tell me. You invented that curse last night."

"I didn't invent it. I only recognized it."

"So start recognizing its rules."

Robin kept her eyes closed and listened. There was a pause before Integra spoke again.

"Do curses even have rules?"

"There are rules for everything," Amon replied. "For instance, we both lost our parents when we were young. If that's part of the curse, then the same thing must have happened to our other relatives. And we can expect to die when our children are young."

"Are you trying to put me in a low mood? Because you're succeeding."

"We've both devoted our lives to slaying evil things and we're very good at it."

"That's the cause of the curse, not a symptom. I said that last night."

"I don't think that's true. There's nothing wrong with doing what we've been bred for. The cause of the curse is at the root of our drive to slay evil."

"Perhaps we care too much. We want to save everyone. If that doesn't invite misfortune then nothing does."

"That may be true for you."

There was a scraping sound as Integra turned her head to look at Amon.

"Don't you care?" she asked. "Don't you want to save people from evil?"

"I couldn't care less," Amon said.

"Liar. If you didn't care, you wouldn't work so hard to hunt your witches. Or do you just enjoy killing things?"

"If that doesn't invite misfortune then nothing does."

"You can make fun all you want. But that doesn't change the facts. The advantages we might gain by having a demonic lineage will always be offset by the trouble that lineage causes."

"So you've accepted what we are?"

"I still need proof. You promised to get it for me. Or don't you remember that?"

"I haven't forgotten."

There was another pause.

"I'm still at a loss to understand how you will use a pair of swords to prove anything," Integra said. "Is there some sort of magical trick to it? Will the swords strike us dead if we are not their rightful owners?"

"I don't know about that. But I wasn't planning on anything magical at all."

"What then? Surely, you don't expect to get usable DNA from the blades. The smelting process would have destroyed all the genetic material left in the Dog Demon's teeth."

"The DNA won't come from the blades," Amon explained. "It will come from the hilts. The epithelial cells caught in the bindings will be at least two hundred years younger and should still be intact."

"You seem to have thought this through. But are you sure the sword hilts will yield enough DNA for the tests?"

"We'll have to find the swords before we can know that."

"If you're wrong, I'll see to it that you never forget it," Integra said.

"I'm well aware of that," Amon replied.

Robin wasn't sure if the conversation would go on, but it didn't matter. She was asleep before anyone could speak again.

Story Notes:

"...dog demon curse..." - See chapter 11.

"...epithelial cells..." - The scientific term for skin cells. These can rub off when you touch something, especially something textured like the binding of a sword hilt.


	18. Chapter 18

37

Nagira was woken roughly when his head bounced against the car window. He opened his eyes narrowly against the uncomfortable light. Through the haze of sleep he saw the gravelly edge of the road speeding by and beyond that, nothing but a frothy blue expanse stretching off toward the horizon. The coastal road. The car hit another pot hole and Nagira's head smacked the window again, harder this time. He sat up, rubbing his head and his eyes.

"Did this damned road wake you?" Integra asked.

Nagira looked up and noticed her in the driver's seat. She was wearing driving gloves like a proper English lady. But her hair was tied back with a ripped strip of cloth that Nagira recognized as the border of a handkerchief. That made him smile.

"What's so amusing?" she asked.

"Nothing really," he said. "How come you're driving?"

"We switched as soon as we left the highway, just past 1 o'clock."

"And what time is it now?"

"Almost five o'clock."

"And what's with your hair? I haven't seen you put it up before."

"I decided it was a good idea. At any moment, I might get the urge to stick my head out the window." She glanced back at him with a smirk.

Nagira snorted and smirked as well. He pulled himself forward until his head stuck out between the front seats. Amon was asleep in the passenger seat. Nagira was hoping his little brother might be drooling so he could tease him about it later. But he wasn't that lucky. Nagira sighed and let himself fall back into his seat in the back.

"I keep checking, but it hasn't happened yet," Integra said, as if reading Nagira's mind.

He looked up, a little surprised. "How did you know what I was looking for?"

"I didn't truly know," she replied. "I assumed you were looking for the same thing I look for. A fault, a crack in his armor. Damn him for being so perfect."

Nagira smiled again and said nothing. How could he argue with the truth? He looked across at Robin. She was sleeping too, her hand sandwiched between her ear and the window. The potholes that jarred the car every few minutes didn't seem to bother her at all. He thought of all the times Hana had to yell and scream to wake her up in the middle of the afternoon.

"I swear that little fox can sleep through anything," he said out loud.

"Is that so?" Integra said, without taking her eyes from the road. "I have a girl who can do that. At times, I think she can sleep through grenade explosions."

Nagira laughed as quietly as he knew how. It ended up sounding like a giggle. Integra glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

"It's alright if you wake them. We're almost there," she said.

Nagira leaned forward between the seats again. "Hey, Buffy. When were you planning on going home?" he asked.

"Don't call me that," she replied hopelessly. "I was planning to leave as soon as the results of the DNA tests arrived. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I could give you a tour of my office before you go."

Integra went quiet for a moment and Nagira's hope began to wilt.

"Are we there yet?" Robin's sleepy voice floated up from the back seat.

Nagira spared another look for Integra but she didn't look back. He sank down into his seat. "Nope, but almost," he said, answering Robin's question.

38

Half an hour later, Integra joined the others as they stepped off the road and skirted the edge of the cliff above the small cove. They could see a tree standing alone on the beach below, just like the scroll had said. The cliff face was almost sheer so they had to go around to the other side to find a place to descend safely. Integra looked back at the car parked on the side of the road. It looked a little bit lonely. But that was probably just her perception. Nagira's invitation had taken her by surprise. She hadn't expected things to go this far. It had occurred to her that it wouldn't do either of them any good to start a relationship. She would be thousands of miles away in a week or even less. Her little game had suddenly gotten serious. Even more so because she had wanted to accept.

There was no proper trail leading down into the cove, so they had to pick their way through the scrubby plants on the steep slope. Nearer the bottom, there were boulders piled up and they made their way down by jumping from one to another. They could see the cave now, it's mouth overgrown with tall grasses and hanging creepers. When at last they stood before it, the opening looked smaller than Integra had expected. It was little more than a wide crack in the rock face of the cliff half hidden by the shadow of the nearby tree. The sound of a car passing on the road above reminded Integra that they had other concerns as well. Without bothering to consult the others, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Walter's number.

"Where are you right now?" she asked when Walter answered.

"The Paladin is on his way. I am following from a safe distance. We are on the coastal road, going north. We're almost there."

"You have a car?"

"I took the liberty, ma'am. I hope that isn't a problem."

"It isn't. Is Victoria with you?"

"As a matter of fact, she is. She insisted on coming, even though she does look ridiculous..."

Integra couldn't make out what Seras was saying in the background but it didn't sound very nice.

"Good," she replied. "Turn on the speaker phone. What I have in mind will require both of you."

Everything around Integra seemed to go quiet in response to that. Her companions were watching her now, listening intently. And Walter and Seras seemed to have focused their attention as well. She paused only a moment before continuing.

"Amon, Nagira, and I will be going into the cave in a few minutes. Robin will stay at the entrance. When Paladin Anderson arrives, he will be forced to attack her. As soon as he's distracted, Walter, you and Victoria will attack him from behind. Once he's caught in your pincer maneuver, your job will be to keep him pinned down long enough for us to take the swords and come back out. If the legend of the swords is true, then they should be the only weapons we'll need to break away and escape. Is everyone clear on the plan?"

"Indeed," Walter said over the phone line.

"Absolutely," Seras said, almost inaudible over the road noise in the background.

Amon, Nagira, and Robin all nodded.

The plan was set. All that was left for them now was to take the path ahead of them. The one that led into the cave.


	19. Chapter 19

39

Paladin Anderson's hands tightened on the steering wheel. How long would he have to suffer this humiliating surveillance? The car following 100 meters behind him was carrying at least two of Integra's followers, he was sure. How could he shake them off? Perhaps the direct approach was best. He could send a message to his foes at the same time. A wide grin spread across his face as he rolled the window down.

40

Walter's eyes narrowed slightly. "What is he doing?" he asked out loud.

Seras leaned closer to him to see what he was looking at.

Before they could react, something shiny flew past their driver's side window. Walter flinched back from it, pushing Seras back into her own seat.

"He's throwing knives!" Seras yelped.

"From this distance?" Walter asked. "And traveling at this speed? It would be a miracle if he managed to hit us."

Another silver flash shot out of the car ahead of them. It appeared to miss low and for a moment, Walter and Seras felt more confident. But a moment later, a bang like a gunshot made them jump. The car listed to one side and the steering wheel shook in Walter's hands like a live thing.

"Bloody hell! He's hit our front tire!" Seras shouted.

Walter gritted his teeth and slammed on the brakes. The car skidded to a stop on the road shoulder, sending a cloud of dust up against the windows. Walter and Seras sat still for a moment, catching their breath.

"I suppose he worked a miracle, eh Walter?" Seras said, a little nastily.

Walter ignored her and pulled his phone from his pocket. "We must inform Sir Integra quickly. We were to function as Miss Robin's backup. But we won't be able to arrive in time now. She will have to hold him at bay as long as she can by herself."

41

Integra, Amon and Nagira peered into the darkness inside the cave. They could see little flashes of movement, like bugs, and waving cobwebs through the narrow opening. It was easy to believe that the cave had been abandoned for centuries.

"Okay, who wants to go down the creepy tunnel first?" Nagira asked.

Amon nudged him out of the way and crept forward.

"Might as well," Nagira said, turning his eyes to Integra.

Integra didn't answer. She brushed past him and went after Amon into the cave. Nagira shrugged his shoulders and moved quickly to catch up.

42

Robin leaned back and rested her head against the stone warmed by the sun. The rocks she was sitting on formed a natural comfortable seat. How long would it be before she was fighting again? She tried to relax. Getting upset or freaked out wouldn't help her. Amon always said that letting emotion intrude on a fight would only hinder her. But somehow, she couldn't help thinking that something bad was about to happen. Her ringing phone made her sit up.

"Hello?" she answered.

"It's me," Michael said on the other end of the line. "I've got a message from Walter and Seras. They tried to call Sir Integra but they can't reach her."

"She's already in the cave," Robin said. "She must not be getting service in there. So what did they say?"

Robin almost dropped her phone as Michael broke the bad news to her. There would be no backup. She would be completely on her own. She couldn't stop her hands from shaking. It had been a long time since she had been in a one-on-one duel. Would she have to kill him?

"Miss Robin? Are you okay?" Michael was saying.

"I'm fine," she replied, a little too quickly.

She heard the sound of a car's brakes above her on the road.

"You're going to be okay, right?" Michael asked hopefully.

"Please don't worry about me," Robin said, as she reached into her pocket for her glasses. "I'll be fine. I'll have to call you back. He's here."

Story Notes:

"...the creepy tunnel..." - Nagira's line here is a reference to the movie National Treasure. If you haven't seen it, don't worry about it. It's not important.


	20. Chapter 20

43

Robin stood as still as she knew how. She heard the heavy footsteps of her adversary before she saw him. The sound seemed to reverberate around the cove, giving the young witch more than enough reason to panic. But she held onto her composure. When had she ever lost a duel before? Never. And she wouldn't start now. Besides, her job was simply to hold him off until the others came back. That shouldn't be too hard, she told herself.

The tall figure appeared on the rocks above, silhouetted against the still-rising sun. Robin made sure her glasses were sitting firmly on her nose. As the Paladin approached, the grin on his face sent shivers down her spine. Why did he have to do that? Robin glanced behind her and put herself between the Paladin and the cave entrance. He drew his knives and crossed them in front of his face, reciting his twisted prayers. Where did the bible say any of that? Robin didn't have time to consult a reference bible. The Paladin's opening salvo swooped down from the boulders on the slope. The blades hit Robin's heat shield and bounced back onto the rocky sand. The Paladin's grin widened and he began to move faster. It was Robin's turn. She shot off a blast of fire that exploded all around Anderson. An ordinary human or witch would certainly have been incinerated. But Anderson emerged from the blaze only singed. He broke into a run then, charging down the remaining slope and across the flat shore at the bottom.

Robin raised her shield and blasted him again, harder this time. Anderson was pushed back a few yards but the second and third degree burns weren't slowing down as much as Robin had expected. Two more blades collided with her shield and dropped to the ground. He was almost upon her, forcing her to dodge backwards towards the cave. She hated fighting in close quarters like this. Most witches kept some distance between themselves and their dueling opponents. But the Paladin didn't keep any space at all. He charged again and Robin jumped to the side. He was close enough to touch her shield now. She could feel the panic rising and she tried to push it down, but it was no use. No matter how hard she pushed or how badly she burned him, he just kept coming. She was going to lose. She knew it as firmly as she knew her own name. But she couldn't run.

Round and round in circles she moved until she was panting and the Paladin was covered in charred-black peeling skin. But still, he was unrelenting. Robin felt her focus beginning to break down. Each knife thrust got closer and closer. This was the toughest duel she'd ever fought. It was over in an instant. The Paladin raised a blade above his head to stab down at her. The moment she gathered her shield to block the strike, his other hand flew up in a vicious underhand swing. She felt the blood trickling as if it were happening to someone else. There was no pain but Robin fell to her knees anyway. Her opponent stood over her still grinning. The light reflecting off his glasses made her squint as she looked up at him. She expected him to raise his knife and finish the job. But he only muttered another false prayer and disappeared inside the cave.

44

There was just enough light to see as the three people went farther into the cave. The space inside widened as they walked and they could hear the hiss of rushing water. After several more yards, the cave opened up into a sizable cavern. The sound of water filled the empty space. The group slowed down just in time to notice the steep ravine slicing the cavern in two. Looking down the precipice, they couldn't even see the bottom. But the water was down there somewhere.

"Is there some kind of bridge?" Integra asked.

"Over there," Amon replied, pointing a little farther into the darkness.

It was a wooden footbridge, in the old Japanese artistic style.

"That's pretty convenient," Nagira said. "Those old dogs thought of everything."

Amon led the way once again with Integra following and watching him intently. The two had just reached the bridge when a loud voice cut through the quiet.

"If 'tis the will 'o God that 'ye cross that bridge, it'll be o'er my dead body."

Integra and Amon stiffened and spun around. Paladin Anderson stood between them and the cave tunnel, blades in hand. The sweet smell of fresh blood wafted across the space, making their jaws clench. Integra stepped forward.

"Stay out of the way, Vatican errand boy," she snarled.

"Now, 'ye know Ah canna' do that," the priest said. "Fools such as 'ye have no business with the weapons 'o demons."

"You have no idea what you've walked into," Integra said. She put her hand on her gun, ready for a fight. Amon did the same, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the enemy.

"But Ah do know. 'Tis a nest 'o vipers," Paladin Anderson had barely finished speaking when he raised his blades and charged. He had gone only a few steps when he was thrown off his feet into the nearby stone wall of the cave. Nagira had leapt from the shadows and hit him with all his weight. A moment later, Nagira was sitting on top of the struggling priest.

"Ye foul blasphemer! Filthy heathen!" The captive cursed as he thrashed around.

"Get going," Nagira shouted to Amon and Integra. "I don't know how long I can hold him."

Amon headed for the bridge right away, but Integra hesitated.

"Go, for god's sake!" Nagira howled over the Paladin's yelling.

Integra and Amon ran.

Story Notes:

This is the first time I've ever killed off a major character in a fanfic. It's a milestone for me. When I was plotting the second half of this story, I realized that Robin HAD to lose this duel for the next part to turn out the way I wanted it to. Of course, once I set Robin against Paladin Anderson, it was easy to make it end this way. From numerous clues in WHR, we know that Robin is not very good at close-range fighting. And close-range is Anderson's favorite fighting style. If he can withstand her attacks for long enough, he can win. I suppose I set her up to take a fall on purpose. But don't forget that the Tenseiga will soon be in play. Stick with me, dear readers. The best parts are yet to come.


	21. Chapter 21

45

The bridge was short and Amon and Integra were soon on solid rock again. They didn't slow down as they covered the distance to the other side of the cavern and entered a narrow passage at the back. They could see a faint glow from the end of the tunnel and followed it. The passage opened on a chamber, dark except for one shaft of light that came from a hole in the roof and fell on the center of the small room. In the rough circle of illumination stood two swords. Dust was clearly visible from their hilts to the tips of their sheaths. The rock floor under the swords was covered by a large piece of red cloth. Amon and Integra stopped for a moment and glanced at each other, challenging. They moved at the same time, snatching the swords from their stands.

Amon looked down at the sword in his hand. It was the same one he had glimpsed for an instant in his ancestor's hand. The Tenseiga. A strange feeling came over him as he held the weapon. Was it timelessness? It made him want to drop the sword but he didn't dare. He suspected he would need it soon. He clenched his hand tighter around the sheath.

46

Integra couldn't have been more confused. She had expected a great revelation when she touched the sword, but none came. She was still as much in the dark as she had been when she left home. In fact, it made her a little angry. She wrapped the red cloth around the sword's sheath and stuffed it through her gun belt. She turned around to complain to Amon, but she suddenly noticed something else. A long narrow shape sticking out of a crevice low on one wall of the chamber. It was only just visible on the edge of the light from the open roof. Integra moved first and Amon quickly joined her. As they got closer, they noticed it was wrapped in old spirit wards. In fact, it was wrapped so thickly that Integra couldn't tell exactly what it was.

"The scroll didn't mention a third sword," Amon said, making his best guess.

"Shall we take it?" Integra inquired, knowing what the answer would be.

"Why not," Amon replied.

47

As he and Integra ran back toward the main cavern, Amon began to worry more and more. Was Robin okay? The scent of fresh blood that he'd caught off Anderson was familiar. Without thinking of Integra, he stepped up his pace. When they emerged into the cavern the first thing they saw was Nagira flying toward them. He landed with a terrible thud in the dust at their feet. They barely had time to stop to avoid tripping over him. Paladin Anderson stood on the other side of the bridge, again with blades drawn.

"Ye'll not be leavin' this place alive," he snarled.

"I think you have it backwards," Integra shot back.

While Integra and her enemy squared off, Amon knelt down and put his hand to Nagira's neck, feeling for a pulse. He jumped a little when Nagira reached up and grabbed his wrist.

"I'm okay," he wheezed. "I just got the wind knocked out of me. You've got to help Robin now. That's her blood he's covered with."

Amon's eyes widened, his worst fears confirmed. He stood up again just in time to see the paladin step onto the bridge and begin his charge. Integra and Amon both had their guns drawn in an instant. They fired as many times as they dared. The sound of the gunshots filled the cavern with a roar that seemed to come from all sides. Anderson slowed down to a walk again, giving his wounds time to close. Now that he was closer, Amon could see that the paladin's skin was badly burned. Robin had gotten her licks in. Amon's jaw tightened at the thought. What had he done to her?

Integra emptied her clip into Anderson's gut, but he was coming ever closer. Amon expected her to reload and try again. But Integra holstered her gun and reached for the other side of her belt instead. The side where the Tetsusaiga was hanging. She drew it with less flare than Amon had anticipated and the look on her face as she regarded the pitted blade was less than enthusiastic. But when she gripped the hilt with both hands and faced her enemy, Amon got the feeling that she really could win.

Anderson paused for a moment and laughed. "An' just what do ye' expect to do wi' that?" he jeered.

"Run you through," Integra snarled.

Anderson laughed even harder and started his charge again.

48

"It's time to show me what you can do," Integra whispered to the blade in her hands.

She moved forward to meet Anderson, the sword held up sideways in front of her. He crossed his blades to block and when they clashed, the sound echoed all around the cavern. Amon and Nagira winced. Integra was pushed back half a step but then she stood firm.

"Ye' think ye' can defeat me wi' that pathetic steel?" the paladin asked, smiling.

Integra grinned. "This is not steel," she retorted. "This is the fang of the Great Dog Demon. One of the weapons you came to claim, I believe."

Integra's smile grew as the paladin's faded.

"I know what you're thinking," she continued. "That this sword is the spawn of evil. But you're wrong. You see, the Dog Demon was a bit… eccentric. Unlike other demons, he loved humans. And he forged this sword to protect them."

"Ye' think all o' that makes a difference to me?" Anderson asked.

"No," Integra replied, thinking quickly. "But it does make a difference that I myself am also the spawn of the Dog Demon."

The paladin's eyes widened only for an instant. But that was enough time for Integra to gather her strength and push him back. As soon as he was off balance, she brought the sword around, severing his right hand at the wrist. The hand, still clutching a blessed blade, bounced across the dusty floor and came to rest some distance away. Anderson took the loss in stride. He raised the blade in his left hand and pointed it at Integra.

"Ye'll pay dearly for that, demon spawn," he said.

Integra was still grinning as she tightened her grip on the Tetsusaiga.

"Come at me then," she said.

And he did. He charged faster than ever, but Integra was ready for him. She dodged to the side and swung the sword upwards. The paladin's left hand went spinning away into the darkness. Integra heard the blessed blade strike rock, and then the rock crumbling, and then something else. A rumbling sound that quickly began to grow.

"The noise must have destabilized the cavern," Amon called out. During the fight he had helped Nagira back onto his feet and the two of them had circled around to the bridge.

"We gotta go, Buffy," Nagira said. "This whole place is coming down."

Paladin Anderson laughed. He held his bleeding wrists out wide.

"As I said before, ye'll not leave this place alive."

Integra had finally had enough. "Shut up, damn you," she yelled and lunged at him. This time, she managed to stab the Tetsusaiga's blade through the paladin's leg. Before he had a chance to recover, she yanked the sword back and ran past him towards the bridge. Amon and Nagira saw her coming and ran ahead of her. The three of them entered the tunnel that led to the entrance just as the first large boulders began to fall from the cavern's roof. The noise was deafening now. They ran for the light that marked the outside. A huge cloud of dust chased them out into the midday sun. They stopped and stood on the rocks beside the cave and watched the dust roll out over the ocean. Paladin Anderson was nowhere to be seen.

Story Notes:

In the Inuyasha anime, the Tetsusaiga's untransformed form wasn't strong enough to wound demons. So one might think that without transforming, the sword would be useless in this case too. However, Paladin Anderson is a human. And humans are not as tough as demons. The untransformed Tetsusaiga is still an effective weapon against him.

The next chapter will be the last one so stick around and find out where everyone goes from here. And don't forget about Robin. Her fate will be revealed too.


	22. Chapter 22

I changed my mind. The last few sections ran so long that I had to break them up. But the next chapter will definitely be the last one. Really.

49

For a moment, Nagira stood in shock. Narrowly escaping death always seemed to do that to him. But after a few seconds, he became aware of his surroundings again. And he noticed the blood. The reddish-brown stain was still visible on the gravelly sand in front of the cave, even under the pale dust from the cave collapse. As he scanned the ground, Nagira noticed more stains. Most were small, only a few drops. They seemed to lead away from the cave into a pile of rocks that stood a few yards away. He was suddenly reminded of the Roman Colosseum with its sandy floor to soak up the blood of the ancient gladiators. By the time that image passed, Amon was already halfway down the trail and Nagira could only follow him.

They skirted around the edge of the rocks and stopped as they came to the other side. Robin was sitting right where they had left her when they went into the cave. The rocks that formed her seat seemed to be cradling her now. Her face was blank at first, but then she blinked and lifted her head slowly to look at Amon and Nagira. Her dull eyes were so calm, Nagira could hardly stand to look into them. Her black dress was shining wet from the waist down. The trail of blood ended in a puddle around her shoes.

Nagira moved closer and crouched down beside her. She was breathing in quiet gasps and her hands were shaking where they lay on the rocks. She looked at Nagira and then back up at Amon. When she finally spoke, her voice came in a ragged whisper.

"I think... I really messed up this time, Amon."

Nagira could feel his heart tearing as he watched her.

"Don't worry, kid," he said, trying not to let his voice break. "We're gonna get you to a hospital. You're gonna be okay."

"There isn't time for that," Integra said. Her voice made Nagira jump a little. He hadn't noticed her approaching. She was standing behind him and once she had spoken she turned to look at Amon. As if on cue, Robin sighed weakly and her eyes closed.

Amon had not moved an inch. He had been standing there, his eyes locked with Robin's. But now he took a few steps closer, close enough to touch. Without taking his eyes from Robin's face, he put his hand on the hilt of the sword stuck through his belt. He drew it without a moments hesitation.

"Stand back," he said.

Nagira stood up and took a step back. He found himself standing beside Integra. They exchanged glances and then turned their attention back to Amon and Robin. He stood over her with the sword raised in his right hand. He froze like that for another moment and then swung the blade down. It passed through Robin's body like a ghost through a wall. Nothing happened for what felt like a long time. And then Robin opened her eyes again. They were as bright as always. Nagira noticed that her hands had stopped shaking and now she moved one of them to where her fatal wound had been just a few seconds ago. She looked up at Amon's serious face with a combination of confusion and wonder.

"Amon," she said, not sure what she wanted to say.

"Let's go," he said. He sheathed the Tenseiga and turned his back to Robin as he began to head for the slope they had to climb. Robin pulled herself up from her seat and followed him. She didn't seem to notice the congealing pool of blood she was leaving behind on the ground, or that she was tracking red shoeprints across the sand. Nagira and Integra exchanged glances again and went after them.

50

The next day, Integra woke up back in the hotel room, feeling like she'd slept for a week. She spent the morning sitting on the couch staring at the Tetsusaiga, trying to recognize what exactly made it special. Amon had scraped some of the dust and hairs from inside the bindings of the hilt the night before. But to Integra it looked like nothing more than a well-used old sword. There was no sign of the magic that had supposedly slain giant demons centuries ago. Nor was there a trace of the static electricity that Amon claimed to have felt when he touched the sword. She had no luck consulting Walter either.

"It will make a lovely heirloom," was all he could think of to say.

It wasn't until mid-afternoon when she met Amon outside Raven's Flat that she began to let that mystery go.

"You said the DNA test results were ready," Integra said by way of greeting.

"It will be easier to explain if I show you," Amon replied.

On the way up in the elevator, Integra pulled a stick of chewing gum from her pocket. Amon stared at her as she unwrapped it.

"It's your fault I'm reduced to this," Integra said without looking at him. She inserted the gum carefully into her mouth and started chewing slowly.

Amon smirked and seemed about to laugh when the elevator doors opened on the office.

Though she had only been there once before, it struck Integra as strange that everybody was crowded into the conference room. It seemed even stranger when they all looked up at her and Amon as they walked in and then filed silently back to their computer terminals. It seemed like a bad omen, and Integra was pretty sure of what it meant.

Two projection screens were working in the conference room when she and Amon entered. One of them displayed what looked like an x-ray film with several columns of slightly blurred black dashes. The other was a data table that was probably meant to explain the image on the other screen. Integra didn't understand either at first glance, though she knew what they were. The DNA test results.

"These are mine," Amon said, keeping his eyes on the screens.

"And?" Integra asked, hoping for a clear answer.

"There are too many similarities to be a coincidence," he said flatly.

Integra got the feeling that he was trying not to state the obvious. She wasn't going to force him.

"Let me see mine," she said.

Amon tapped a few buttons on the keyboard in front of them in a sequence Integra didn't bother to follow. The images on the screens changed. But not as much as she expected. For a minute, she surveyed the film image. The first column, representing the sample taken from the Tetsusaiga, was almost the same as the one from the Tenseiga. In fact, the dashes in the film image were so alike that Integra had to lean forward slightly to pick out the differences. But when she finally looked across at her own column, she was only looking for similarities.

"The results are the same for both of us," Amon said unnecessarily.

"So it's true," she said.

"Yeah."

Story Notes:

I'm sorry if that first scene was a bit gruesome. But I wanted to make it realistic and not sugarcoat it. And the worse the situation looked, the better Tenseiga would look when it saved the day.

"...static electricity..." - The Tetsusaiga has a magical barrier around it that keeps unworthy demons from touching it. In the Inuyasha anime series, the barrier always reacted to Sesshomaru and burned him badly if he took hold of the sword. But because Amon is mostly human, the barrier reacted only slightly. In fact, the reaction was so weak that he mistook it for a common static shock.

"...a lovely heirloom..." - Myouga the flea demon said the exact same thing about the Tetsusaiga in episode 6 of Inuyasha when Inuyasha himself first acquired the sword and doubted it's worth.

"The DNA test..." - I'm using "CSI time" in this story, which means that the DNA results are back the next day. In reality, labs can take weeks to have DNA test results ready. Crime dramas like CSI artificially accelerate the process to keep their stories moving at a fast pace.

"...blurred black dashes..." - This is as close as I could get to describing DNA test results visually. The dashes represent genetic markers that experts use to compare different samples of DNA. If two samples are related to each other then they will have a lot of the same markers and the columns of dashes in the image will be similar. More detail oriented readers will notice that I didn't give a number for how many markers Amon and Integra share with their ancestors, as a real DNA test would clearly state. This is because I have absolutely no idea what that number would be and no idea how to find out. Sorry about that…


	23. Chapter 23 END

51

Nagira stared at the screensaver on his computer monitor. He'd been sitting there in his dark office thinking so deeply that it surprised him when the screen went black and little white dots began to fly across it. His thoughts were swirling around the DNA test results like bees around a broken hive. How long had he been sure of what they would find at the end? How long had he sensed the truth before it was confirmed? Maybe he had known from the beginning. Maybe there had never even been a question. Had Travisian known too? Was that why the old witch had given the scroll to him?

Nagira's eyes scanned the desk in front of him until they found the new cylindrical container. He'd received it by courier just after coming back from Raven's Flat that afternoon. Travisian had sent it, he was sure. But the note attached to it was as enigmatic as the fugitive himself.

"I need to give you these," it read. "It was not safe to send them via regular mail. They have not ceased pursuing me. The documents within contain the answers to many questions."

Travisian must have already known about the Dog Demon's bloodline, Nagira decided. But how was that possible? How could a total stranger know that he was a dog demon when Nagira himself had not known for sure until today? Had Travisian been watching them before making contact? Nagira thought about telling Amon, but that probably wouldn't do any good. Amon wouldn't be bothered by it. In fact, the whole thing didn't seem to bother Amon as much as Nagira had expected. It was like he had been even more sure than Nagira was from the beginning. That wouldn't be all that surprising. After all, Amon already thought he was a monster. A demon was not such a big leap for him.

And then there was Integra. She seemed to be having the hardest time of all. Despite her bold declaration to Paladin Anderson the day before, she was the slowest to accept the proof. Nagira wished he could say something to make her feel better. He also wished that she hadn't clammed up when he invited her to his office. He hadn't even meant anything by it. No, that was a lie. But what had he meant by it? Robin's question from the other day recurred to him suddenly. "Are you in love with her?" Nagira honestly didn't know. He had only known her for less than a week. He couldn't make a call based on just that.

A knock on the door stopped his thoughts dead in their tracks. He couldn't imagine who would be calling on him this late but he got up to answer it anyway. The moment he opened the door, the silvery hair caught his eye, as it always did.

"Buffy?" he said.

Integra had been standing with her back to the door. She seemed about to be swallowed by the darkness outside. But now she turned around.

"I decided to accept your invitation," she said. "That isn't a problem, is it?"

"Of course not," Nagira said.

He moved aside from the door and she came inside.

52

The next morning, Robin sat on the couch on the side of the office, waiting for Amon to finish up some paperwork. They had left a few loose ends when they ran off to chase the fang swords. She looked up toward the windows on the other side of the office and caught sight of the Tenseiga. It sat firmly in it's new steel rack above the doorway leading to the elevator. It looked like a perfectly ordinary sword up there. But of course, it wasn't. Robin knew that better than anybody. She couldn't decide whether to believe she had been dead or not. She didn't remember a tunnel or any white light like the stories said. In fact, she didn't remember anything from the few brief moments between her eyes closing and opening again. It was as if she had simply fallen asleep. But when she woke up, she wasn't wounded. And she knew she had been before. The blood proved that. She had finally thrown the dress away after spending the whole previous morning trying to wash the stickiness out. It had been a relief to get rid of it. It saved her the trouble of stitching up the hole left by the paladin's knife, as well as the humiliation of being reminded of it.

"Robin, let's go," Amon said.

She got up from the couch. He was putting his papers away.

"What time is Integra's flight leaving?" she asked.

"In two hours," Amon replied. "We're unwrapping the other thing next week, so get some rest this weekend."

"Where did you put it?" Robin asked nervously. She always got a bad feeling when she looked at the mass of spirit wards that had ridden back from the cove in Amon's trunk.

"It's locked in the Chief's office," Amon said.

Robin felt better. But only slightly. As they rode down to the garage in the elevator, she turned her thoughts elsewhere.

"Don't you ever get tired of saving me?" she asked.

"All the time," Amon answered with a tiny smirk.

"Why did you save me? This time, I mean."

"Because I don't want you to disappear," Amon said.

53

Seras hurriedly climbed the stairs to the doorway of Integra's jet. She turned and waved a gloved hand back at Robin. Robin waved back through the open window of Amon's car. Even through tinted lenses, it wasn't hard for Seras to see that she was smiling. Not the same smile she'd gotten from Michael after the goodbye kiss she gave him earlier that day. But still nice. Walter was already leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed when Seras turned into the plane's cabin. She collapsed into the seat beside Walter and let her gaze drift out the window. Sir Integra was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Amon and Nagira. Seras was sure that Walter couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could.

"So you'll come back next summer?" Nagira was saying.

"Of course," Integra replied.

"You suppose that's what Doggie Daddy would have wanted?" Nagira asked, grinning.

"I don't particularly care," Integra said. "And when precisely did he gain that posthumous nickname?"

Nagira gave a snorting laugh and didn't answer.

"You will take care of the Tetsusaiga, won't you?" Amon changed the subject.

"Why wouldn't I? It's mine now," Integra said.

Amon nodded approvingly but Integra only shook her head, a smirk spreading across her face. Amon turned around and went over to his car. Integra started climbing the stairs into her plane. She was halfway up when Nagira called after her.

"Hey, Buffy," he said. "You're a good dog, you know."

She looked back at him with the same smirk.

"Don't call me that," she said.

Epilogue

Dear Dojima,

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've written back to you. I was trying to process everything you said in your last letter. It sounds like you live in interesting times. Allegiances do appear to be forming. Yes, you should keep an eye on everyone. It's useful to have one person who sees all the angles. Tell Michael not to worry about the space-time continuum. I will be sure not to reveal this information about the future to anyone.

Please tell Amon and the others to exercise extreme caution. I understand the need to understand the nature of the thing. But an object wrapped in spirit wards may be dangerous and it should not be handled without taking all necessary safety measures.

Meanwhile, we've all been quite busy over here. Between tracking Naraku, collecting jewel shards, and slaying wayward demons, there's plenty of work for us to do. It seems we'll be staying in this general vicinity for a while. So I will be able to write more often.

I'm enclosing a package of a new herbal remedy I'm designing that might help with your problem. Let me know how effective it is. This is my first chance to test this particular combination, so the feedback will be invaluable to me. Thanks.

Passionately yours, Miroku.

PS. Shall we go again?

Date: July 27  
From: Integra  
Subject: Re: Yo Buffy  
You mustn't let opposing council walk all over you like that. You're far too passive. It's no wonder your clientele is drying up. You might do better business by charging for your services in the witch underground. And don't accuse me of being cruel when you know very well that I'm right.

Date: July 27  
From: Nagira  
Subject: Re: Yo Buffy  
Telling me how to run my business now, huh? Well, I'll have you know that I have one of the best success rates in town with this type of case. I can't lose.

Date: July 27  
From: Integra  
Subject: Re: Yo Buffy  
"One of the best success rates in town?" You sound like you're advertising a fertility clinic. You wouldn't be telling me about your work if you didn't want my opinion. So I'm giving it.

Date: July 28  
From: Nagira  
Subject: Re: Yo Buffy  
It's not that I need your opinion exactly, though I'm always happy to hear it. I'm just venting. That's not weird, is it? I mean, I know I can handle it on my own. But it's nice to have someone to pour it out to. No one around here wants to listen to me griping. It's either you or the Pachinko machines. It's cheaper and more convenient to talk to you. I don't even have to leave my desk. And Hana doesn't scold me when I talk to you either.

Date: July 28  
From: Integra  
Subject: Re: Yo Buffy  
It's not weird to want to talk to someone. But it's difficult to hear you complain without trying to offer advice. That secretary of yours must earn her wages if she scolds you for every bad habit in your arsenal.

Date: July 29  
Blackdog: Are you rebuilding your army yet?  
Whitedog: I will not be rebuilding my army at all.  
Blackdog: That's a surprise. What made you decide that?  
Whitedog: I had forgotten how good it felt to do my own fighting. I think it's time for me to step out of the shadows and do what I'm bred for.  
Blackdog: That would be a nice change. Each mission will be an adventure in itself.  
Whitedog: I hope so. Sitting in my office has gotten a bit old for me.  
Blackdog: Do you plan to carry the Tetsusaiga with you?  
Whitedog: Indeed I do. I always carry a sword and a gun with me when I expect to fight. I've already replaced my regular sword with the fang sword.  
Blackdog: You always carry a sword around? You're so old fashioned.  
Whitedog: Don't tease. It comes in handy. And I have one more piece of news.  
Blackdog: What might that be?  
Whitedog: I've decided to quit smoking.  
Blackdog: ...  
Whitedog: I'm not kidding.  
Blackdog: Are you sure about this?  
Whitedog: Yes. I've given it a lot of thought. If I want to travel and fight more often then I should take better care of my health.  
Blackdog: So I won't have to pay you back for that cigar then?  
Whitedog: You wish...

The End... or is it...

Story Notes:

"The documents within…" - The full text of these other scrolls is already written and I promise I will include some of it in a later story.

"...posthumous..." - This word refers to something that's given to a dead person, like an award. Or in this case a nickname.

I will NOT reveal what happened between Nagira and Integra (if anything did happen) on the night in question. At least, not yet.

Well, that's the end. Thank you to all the reviewers. I'll be starting work on HD5 soon. It'll be shorter, thank goodness. Maybe even shorter than HD2. But I'll be going back to my habit of finishing the story before I start posting it. So it might take a little while to get it out. Anyway, here's a teaser.

What is that mysterious package wrapped in spirit wards? What clues are contained in Travisian's scrolls? What other secrets is the old witch hiding? How much of Sesshomaru's demon power lies dormant in Amon's blood? And how far would Robin go to save her partner's soul? All this and more will be revealed in Hunting Dogs 5: Pedigree Papers.


End file.
